Celebrity Saudi preacher who 'raped' and tortured his five-year-old daughter to death escapes with light sentence

Lama suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken ribs and back, bruising and burns. She had been raped repeatedly and died of her injuries in October

• Lama al-Ghamdi's back was broken and she had been raped and burned
• She died in October from her injuries after ten months in hospital 
• Her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher, admitted beating her but was freed after agreeing to pay £31,000 compensation 
• Campaign to give women and children better protection gaining momentum 

By Becky Evans
February 04, 2013

A Saudi preacher who tortured his five-year-old daughter to death has been released after agreeing to pay 'blood money', activists said.

Lama al-Ghamdi died in October having suffered multiple injuries including a crushed skull, broken ribs and left arm, extensive bruising and burns.

The child had also been repeatedly raped and the burned.

Her father Fayhan al-Ghamdi, a prominent Islamist preacher who regularly appears on television in Saudi Arabia, served only a few months in jail despite admitting having used a cane and cables to inflict the injuries.Continued