Court case British schoolgirl 'kept in cage for four years by Muslim father who disapproved of her Western lifestyle'
British schoolgirl 'kept in cage for four years by Muslim father who disapproved of her Western lifestyle'
Amina Al-Jeffery, 21, was moved to Saudi Arabia from her
home in Swansea by her dad when she was 16 and claims she has been
starved and physically abused
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Amina Al-Jeffery claims she has been kept in a cage for four years by her father (file image)
A British schoolgirl was allegedly kept in a cage for four years by her Muslim father who disapproved of her Western lifestyle, a court heard.
Amina Al-Jeffery, 21, was moved to Saudi Arabia from her home in Swansea by her dad when she was 16 and claims she has been starved and physically abused.
The
High Court in London was told yesterday that she remains in captivity
at Mohammed Al-Jeffery's home in Jeddah and has been refused to marry
the man of her choice, according to The Times.
The
newspaper reports that the 62-year-old father works at Abdulaziz
University in Jeddah and is said to be receiving funding from the Saudi
Arabian government to contest the court order to return his daughter to
the UK.
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She said she was taken to Jeddah in Saudi Arabia when she was 16
Mr Al-Jeffery is said to have moved to Wales, along with his
eight other children, before his daughter was born where they received
benefits and sent them to British schools and univiersities.
Henry
Setright, QC, representing Miss Al-Jeffrey, told the court she was
taken to Saudi Arabia because her father disapproved of her
"relationships and conduct".
He added that the girl's father believed she was "someone he has a duty to control, including her freedom of movement".
British
lawyer Anne-Marie Hutchinson said she had briefly spoken to Miss
Al-Jeffery when she briefly escaped from her father's home, the
newspaper reports.
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The High Court heard that Miss Al-Jeffery was starved and physically abused while in captivity
She said: “She is a normal Welsh girl and still has her Welsh accent.
"She wants to return home so she can have control of her own life and make her own choices."
The
court was also told that Mr Al-Jeffery allegedly refused to allow his
daughter to visit the British consulate over fears she could be granted
"sanctuary".
The forced marriage unit of the Foreign Office said
Saudi authorities refused to accept her dual citizenship, adding that
"steps need to be taken to ensure Amina is returned to the UK where her
safety can be guaranteed".
Mr Justice Holman said that the
jurisdiction of the British courts was unclear because al-Jeffrey was
now an adult with dual Saudi and UK citizenship.
The hearing continues.
