The Syrian Ministry of Interior published today the confessions of the perpetrators in the case of young Ayat Al-Rifai, whose murder by her husband and family members captured the attention of the Arab public. The confessions revealed that her husband, along with his father and mother, admitted to killing her and to constantly mistreating her.
In a video posted by the Ministry on their Facebook page, Ahmad Al-Hamwi, Ayat's father-in-law, stated: "The girl's behavior did not please us; we would beat her up and down, and I, my wife, and my son would collaborate to hit her." He added, "On the night of the incident, I struck her on the head and body with a rattan stick due to hot water and the loss of a screwdriver." He mentioned that his son then hit her on the head. He continued, "An hour later, my second son's son came and told us that Ayat was neither alive nor dead."
For his part, Ghiyath Al-Hamwi, the victim's husband, said, "On the day of the incident, we had lunch, and my father hit her twice on the head and body. Then I went into the room to understand why she was arguing with my father, we had a fight, and I hit her head against the wall several times and left her alone in the room." He indicated that he then took her to the hospital with his brother and tried to hide the truth from her family.
The mother of the victim's husband confirmed her son and husband's statements. The Syrian Ministry of Interior stated they arrested the perpetrator's brother, Abu Al-Izz, after he threatened the victim's family, pressuring them to close the case. They confirmed that the victim's husband, his parents, and his brother would be brought to the appropriate court to receive their just punishment.
Syrian Interior Minister Major General Mohammad Rahmoun received Ayat Al-Rifai's family on Thursday and listened to their demands regarding the incident. The victim's family reported that they provided the minister with detailed information about the case and he promised to follow up on it specifically to ensure they obtain Ayat's rights under the law.
The doctor who received the victim at the Mujtahed Hospital in Damascus stated that Ayat "entered the hospital showing no signs of life, with no heartbeat or breathing." She added that the victim's father and mother filed a complaint against their daughter's husband due to existing conflicts between them. They stated that Ayat was subjected to beatings by her husband and was mistreated by his father and stepmother. The husband was detained, and during a search of his home, two wooden sticks in the shape of a rattan were found, one of which had several iron pins in the head section.
