Saudi court sentences Kenyan mother to 100 lashes

A Saudi Arabian court has sentenced a Kenyan domestic worker to 100 lashes after she gave birth outside marriage, according to the Daily Mail, The Guardian, and The New York Times. Human rights organisations condemned the sentence as an act of violence, The Guardian reported. [1][2][5][6]

The Daily Mail identified the mother of five as Esther Wanja Muthoni, who was recruited as a housekeeper from East Africa. According to the Daily Mail, the court issued the ruling last month, and Muthoni has been blocked from returning home with her child for more than a year. [2]

The Guardian reported that the case came to light after the mother went to a hospital, which is required under Saudi law to report single women who give birth. Under the legal system in Saudi Arabia, which is based on Sharia law derived from the Quran and Sunnah, sexual relations outside marriage are illegal. [1][13]

The sentence highlights the boundaries of social and legal reforms in the country, where women can face imprisonment for illegal pregnancy, the Daily Mail reported. Rights groups noted that women are disproportionately targeted under these laws, according to The Guardian. [1][2]