KUWAIT: The Criminal Court has set July 6 as the date to give its verdict in the murder case of Kuwaiti citizen Farah Akbar. The prime suspect had pled not guilty to the crime which took place in April and in which he is accused of stabbing the victim to death after kidnapping her in Sabah Al-Salem. The case had sparked an outcry in Kuwait with demands from the public to lawmakers for more protection to women in Kuwait. According to reports, the suspect had wanted to marry the victim, but her family rejected the proposal.
The woman's family said they had filed several cases at several police stations and with some public prosecutors, but the man was not kept in custody. The woman's sister - who is a lawyer - said that she repeatedly pleaded with a public prosecutor that the release of the man could endanger her sister's life, but he was nevertheless freed on bail. She also said police stations did not take their complaints seriously.
In other news, police arrested a citizen who works for Kuwait Fire Force on accusations of committing arsons in Sabah Al-Salem. Police patrols had responded to a call about a fire in the area, and arrested the man after finding flammable substances on him, Al-Rai Arabic daily reported yesterday. The man was taken to the proper authorities for further questioning. In a different case, Jahra firemen put out a blaze reported in the basement of a building in the area. The basement was used as a warehouse for housewares.