Al Mahwit: Child Dies After Alleged Torture by His Father in Al Khabt District

A child has died after allegedly being subjected to severe physical abuse in one of the villages of Al Khabt District in Al Mahwit Governorate, an area under the control of the Houthi group. Preliminary investigations indicate that the child was violently assaulted before his death.

According to media sources, the child, Saqaf Abdulsamad, had accompanied his father to work at a farm in the Wadi Sharaf Al-Din (Al-Dhulou') area, where he was reportedly beaten repeatedly by his father while traveling to and from work. The assault allegedly caused a serious deterioration in his health.

Preliminary investigations also raised suspicions that the child's mother may have attempted to conceal the circumstances surrounding the incident after providing conflicting accounts regarding the cause of his death. She later stated that she had been unaware her son had been beaten.

The child's body remains in the custody of the relevant authorities in the governorate, while both parents are being held and questioned as part of the ongoing investigation. No official statement has been issued by the security authorities affiliated with the Houthi group.

Areas under the control of the Houthi group have witnessed a rise in criminal incidents amid continuing economic and humanitarian deterioration, with worsening living conditions contributing to increasing social and psychological pressures on local communities.