Saudi Arabia opens investigation into video of women being assaulted in orphanage

Governor of Asir forms committee to look into the incident

A still of the video of women being assaulted at an orphanage in Saudi Arabia. The footage is being investigated. SPA

A video of women being attacked by men in Saudi Arabia, including several dressed in police uniform, went viral on social media on Wednesday.

The incident was said to have taken place in a girls' orphanage in the Khamis Mushait governorate in the Asir region of the kingdom.

Prince Turki bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, governor of Asir, set up a committee to investigate the incident and refer the case to the relevant authority, the Saudi Press agency reported.

The governate of the Asir region released a statement condemning the incident, saying it was a violation of the criminal procedures system's Articles 2, 12, 36, 41, 43, 53 and 54, and that it is ready to legally represent whoever was affected by this arrest and to request compensation before the court.

The footage appears to show a number of masked people and security men entering the orphanage.

The hashtag "Khamis Mushait orphans" went viral on Twitter within hours, quickly becoming the most popular tag in Saudi Arabia.