Saudi Arabia: Madinah vice cops attacked by women

Yousuf Muhammad | Arab News

MADINAH: A group of three women attacked members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice at a commission office in a commercial center in Madinah.

Details of the attack were mentioned in a commission statement issued on Friday. The statement said the women stormed the office, threw papers and documents around, and took pictures of the incident on their mobile phones. The names of the women and the commercial center have not been revealed, nor have details of when the incident took place.

The statement said that an unrelated young couple was arrested walking together in the commercial center and taken to the commission office. A woman later came to the office claiming she was a relative of the arrested woman. Commission members advised the woman that procedures would be completed and that the young woman’s identity would not be revealed. The woman, however, refused to leave and began screaming and attacking a commission member. The statement said that a young man then came to the office and claimed he was a relative of the girl. It was then that the three women barged into the office and blasted commission members.

According to the statement, one of the three women started taking pictures with her mobile phone and threatened to send the pictures to newspapers. One of the three, an elderly woman, asked her to remain calm but she continued to scream and utter expletives. The old woman then fell on the floor and injured her head. The commission called the police and the Red Crescent. However, the injured woman refused to get into an ambulance. The screaming and chaos also led to a huge gathering, allowing the young couple to escape.

The statement said two men also entered the office and attacked commission members and that a girl came and took pictures. Police then cleared the office and took those involved to Al-Ayoun Police Station. The statement urged people not to intervene in such cases and avoid creating chaos.