Parents burned teen daughter with hot oil, beat her with broomsticks for refusing arranged marriage

A 16-year-old girl’s parents allegedly scalded her with hot cooking oil and beat her with broomsticks after she refused to be forced into an arranged marriage, KSAT-TV reported. Her parents, on at least one occasion, even allegedly choked her until she was nearly unconscious.

The teen went missing Jan. 30 after she ran away to avoid the abuse. Maarib Al Hishmawi was last seen at Taft High School, where she was a student. She was found alive earlier this month and remains in protective custody.

What charges are the parents facing?

Abdulah Fahmi Al Hishmawi, 34, and Hamdiyah Sabah Al Hishmawi, 33, were taken into custody Friday and are facing charges relating to the continual violence of a family member, according to the Bexar County Sheriff's Office.

The two were allegedly in line to receive $20,000 for arranging to have their daughter marry a man in another city. Officials said the man partaking in the arranged marriage plan is also expected to be charged.

Al Hishmawi and her five siblings are now in Child Protective Service custody, the report stated. The other children are between the ages of 5 and 15.

“This young lady, at various times over that time period was subjected to some pretty bad abuse because she didn't want to be married to this person," Bexar County Sheriff Javier Salazar told the TV station.

"Several times it was reported to us that this young lady was abused with hot cooking oil being thrown on her body. She was beat with broomsticks. At least at one point, she was choked almost to the point of unconsciousness," he explained.

Are other charges expected?

An investigation is continuing into whether Al Hishmawi's siblings were also abused. Salazar said additional charges are likely to be filed, according to the report.

The Bexar County Sheriff's Office and the FBI began investigating the teen’s disappearance in late February.

The FBI was called in to assist in the investigation due to Al Hishmawi's ethnicity, BCSO assistant chief deputy Ronald Bennett told the TV station. The FBI helped the sheriff's office with language barriers and to understand “cultural aspects of the Iraqi girl's life.”