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The Saudi royal family has intervened to block the release of a ‘celebrity’ preacher accused of raping, torturing and killing his five-year-old daughter.

Fayhan al-Ghamdi was set to be released after agreeing to pay “blood money” to the mother of his daughter Lama, who suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken back, broken ribs, a broken left arm and extensive bruising and burns. Social workers say she had also been repeatedly raped and burnt.

Al-Ghamdi, who regularly appears on Saudi television, admitted using a cane and cables to inflict the injuries after doubting his five-year-old daughter’s virginity and taking her to a doctor, according to the campaign group Women to Drive.

The case caused a scandal in Saudi Arabia, with public calls for the cleric to be put to death.

Despite the country’s notoriously strict legal system however, fathers cannot be executed for murdering their children, in the same way husbands cannot be executed for murdering their wives.

Rather than getting the death penalty or receiving a long prison sentence for the crime, Al-Ghamdi served only a few months in jail before a judge ruled the prosecution could only seek ‘blood money’.

Albawaba News reported the judge as saying: “Blood money and the time the defendant had served in prison since Lama's death suffices as punishment.”

Today, however, the Saudi Justice Ministry issued a statement saying the cleric remained in prison and the case was continuing.

The Times reported sources in the Saudi capital Riyadh as saying the royal family had been “stung” by the outrage over the case, with senior members intervening to ensure a stricter punishment is given.

One source told the newspaper, “The royal court is now looking at the case. He [Al-Ghamdi] will stay in prison for a long time.”

The £31,000 blood money Al-Ghamdi agreed to pay is considered compensation under Islamic law, although it is only half the amount that would have been paid had Lama been a boy.

Formal objections to the ruling were initially raised by three Saudi activists, and the twitter hashtag #AnaLama (which translates as I Am Lama) was set up.

In response to the public outrage over the case, Saudi authorities set up a 24-hour hotline to take calls about child abuse. (Independent)

I have never heard of blood money in the cases of rape and pedophilia, and according to sharia law, rapists and pedophiles have no option other then death. Maybe it is time the Arabs in that country over through these fat Godless monarchs and kill them.

If the family accepts the money and that restores their happiness than all good, if not then death to the killer. Its all about what makes the family happy.

Shocking. Well, not really, we're taking about shariah here; a system of law where injustice appears to be the norm. Unbelievable that a great deal of people on this forum support it.

Shocking. Well, not really, we're taking about shariah here; a system of law where injustice appears to be the norm. Unbelievable that a great deal of people on this forum support it.

Its the mother that chose the blood money.

Shocking. Well, not really, we're taking about shariah here; a system of law where injustice appears to be the norm. Unbelievable that a great deal of people on this forum support it.

Shocking. Well, not really, we're taking about shariah here; a system of law where injustice appears to be the norm. Unbelievable that a great deal of people on this forum support it.

Its the mother that chose the blood money.

The mother isn't the main victim here. Let's not forget the little girl who was raped and tortured to death by the psychopathic cleric. Blood money doesn't really do much for her, now does it?

Shocking. Well, not really, we're taking about shariah here; a system of law where injustice appears to be the norm. Unbelievable that a great deal of people on this forum support it.

May Allah send you to the lowest dept of the fire ameen dheh! What does Shariah law have to do with this? Accourding to Shariah law this man should die but if the family want to keep the blood money that is up to them. The little girl is dead now and to her it doesn't matter whether they keep the blood money or kill him she is DEAD. Allah will also give her her payback on Yumul Qiyama against this man. At the end of the day everyone is supposed to die and whether he gets killed or pays blood money won't change that a person has died but it will allow the family to cope with what has happened.