E-MAIL THIS LINK
To: 

Unemployed Lounge Singer Surrenders
Muhammad Bakar Yunus Al-Fallatta, who almost beat his wife Rania Al-Baz to death two weeks ago, has surrendered to police, according to the prominent TV presenter. Rania told Arab News that her husband who is facing charges of attempted murder, surrendered to police on Monday night. Al-Fallatta, who was carrying a prayer rug, told police he had acted in a jealous rage, she said. This could mean the charges would be reduced from attempted murder to wife battery, which carries a lighter sentence.
"What's the penalty for wife battery?"
"12 hours community service."
He will remain in custody until he is seen by a judge in four weeks’ time. The judge will decide in one sitting what happens to Al-Fallatta and also whether to grant Rania a divorce and, if he does, who gets custody of the children. “They only questioned him for 15 minutes but did not take my statement. Nobody called me yet,” Rania said. On April 4, Al-Fallatta attacked his wife by pinning her to the floor and repeatedly smashing her face into the marble tiles and the walls while choking her. According to Rania, he stopped only to give her time to recite the shahada, “because,” he said, “I am going to kill you.”
Posted by: Fred 2004-04-21
http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=31119