Shafaq News– Al-Anbar

A five-year-old girl died in Iraq's Al-Anbar province after suffering alleged abuse by her father, a security source told Shafaq News on Wednesday.

According to the source, the incident occurred after Maria Mohammed Bara visited her mother at her grandparents’ home in the Baali Al-Jasim area of Al-Ataa subdistrict. Her condition deteriorated following the abuse.

In 2024, the Ministry of Interior documented 14,000 cases, most involving physical harm. The data also showed that 73% of the victims were girls, while 27% were boys, with 6% of cases involving abuse by parents.

Despite these challenges, the United Nations previously removed Iraq from the list of countries accused of grave violations against children, acknowledging the country’s efforts to protect children’s legal rights and ensure their physical and emotional well-being.

Read more: Child abuse in Iraq: a cry for justice and systemic change