A court in Saudi Arabia has dropped the charges of manslaughter and sexual assault against the father of Luma, the 5-year-old daughter he had beaten to death in 2011. His sentence was reduced to only the charge of 'excessive disciplining that resulted in death'. According to Saudi Daily Al Sharq, the decision was taken after no trace of semen was found on her body.
Luma’s case became widely known in 2012 when details emerged of how she was tortured by her father during a visit to him and his new wife. Reports said that the father used wires and an iron rod to punish his daughter after he had expressed doubts about her virginity. Luma died after four months in coma and was not buried for another four months pending the investigation and the autopsy procedures.