Officials from the Saudi Interior Ministry stressed on Thursday that the security agencies possess the necessary expertise and technical means to tackle sexual harassment cases.
The newly-approved anti-harassment law will take effect after its publication in the official gazette.
Director of the information crimes combating department at the Public Security Col. Abdulaziz Al-Hasan said during a press conference in Riyadh that all complaints are handled by concerned security agencies with high professionalism.
They are filed according to traditional and electronic methods that will help authorities take the appropriate measures in a timely manner, he explained.
Addressing child sexual harassment through the internet, he said a division was established to address these cases as part of the department that combats cyber-crimes.
Hasan stressed that usernames on social media accounts do not hide a person’s identity because the security agencies have the means to track down the users.
Interior Ministry security spokesman Major General Mansour Al-Turki stressed that the anti-harassment law is aimed at combating crime and protecting the victim.
He stated that currently, authorities do not have accurate figures on the number of sexual harassment cases, adding however that “they are very low and the law will help reduce them even further until they are completely eliminated from society.”
Moreover, he revealed that victims will not receive financial compensations in the harassment case, “but the greatest compensation will be seeing the perpetrator receive his punishment.”
The punishment could range from a fine to imprisonment and is determined by the judiciary, he added.
Turki said that the law obligates the private and public sectors to take the necessary precautions to prevent harassment from taking place. They are responsible for raising awareness among their employees over this issue.
School administrations will also have a similar duty by offering awareness programs.
