A Saudi wife who posted an online video footage of her husband groping their maid could be put behind bars because of Saudi Arabia's anti-defamation laws, Emirates 24/7 reported.
The vengeful wife reportedly filmed her husband using her cell phone while he was talking and sexually abusing their maid in their own kitchen. She then posted the video on social media with the caption: "The minimum punishment for this husband is to scandalise him."
The video reportedly went viral in Saudi Arabia with many viewers rallying in support for the wife, Independent.co.uk reported, citing Gulf News Saudi Arabia.
Some Twitter users started using the hashtag #Saudiwomancatcheshusbandcheating to express their support.
"I salute you warmly for your valiant courage," Al Yamama, a blogger, said of the woman's decision.
"You did the best thing because there was an urgent need for revenge and your revenge is the best," she wrote.
But others criticised the woman, saying she should have handled the matter privately. One blogger said the wife's approach was all wrong, Gulf News Saudi Arabia added.
"She did not know how to handle the situation," Al Mezzen wrote. "What she did in fact was to expose her private life and problems for everyone to see. The situation is compounded if they have children because there will be dire consequences. She has to live with the consequences of what she did," he said.
Saudi top lawyer Majid Qaroob has reportedly warned that the housewife could be sentenced to one-year or given a fine of 500,000 Saudi riyals under the nation's law on information technology crimes.
"This law includes stiff punishment for anyone using mobile phones with camera or other equipment to photograph others and defame them," he told the Syrian Arab News Agency, Gulf News Saudi Arabia reported.
The Saudi system of justice, which is based on the Islamic holy book Quran, has been widely criticised for its "ultra-puritanical judges" who are often harsh in their sentencing but also sometimes overly lenient. In cases of rape or wife-beating, for instance, it is very difficult for abused women to secure a divorce, sources said.
