A father in the UK who allegedly had his daughter sign a lifetime contract promising to never put on weight is on trial for child cruelty and aggression.
Rachid Khadla, 56, who denies the three counts of child cruelty and the two counts of assault that caused real bodily harm against him, would have made his daughter Amira sign an oath that said: “I, Amira Khadla, will never let myself get fat . I will do a lot of exercises to make sure I never get fat, even before I die. “
Prosecutors allege that Khadla hit his daughter with a spoon, punched her and even threw a chair at her. Amira told the court that her “controlling” father decided what she could see, what to wear and what to watch on TV.
Khadla is alleged to have abused his children as well, including his youngest, Hicham, who has a learning disability.
“He punched Hicham in the chest several times and then pushed him into his sister’s bed,” prosecutor Alex Krikler told Reading Crown Court, according to a Sun court report.
“He then put both hands around his neck and strangled him for a long time – five to ten seconds – before pulling him up, punching him in the chest and leaving,” added Krikler. “Hicham tried to say ‘stop’, but was unable to speak.
“He couldn’t breathe and, although the marks left by the choke were relatively small, the incident was extremely frightening,” said Krikler.
The prosecutor went on to describe more about the abuses that Hicham allegedly suffered.
“His father made him reach out and hit his palms with a wooden spoon. He also described how his father pushed and punched him and occasionally threw things at him, ”said Kirkler.
“The abuse was not just physical. The defendant would also threaten with extreme violence, which would “splash his brain on the ceiling and kill him”. His father would tell him that he was weak, ”he said.
The man’s oldest son, Karim, testified against his father, describing his domestic life as “how to live under a dictatorship. My father was the dictator. “
Khadla’s wife, 27, also testified to the prosecution, saying: “The atmosphere at home was very difficult, like stepping on eggshells, it was never a happy home.
“There was always a sensation in the air that could be cut with a knife. It was Rachid’s attitude and aggression. In a minute he was good, then in the blink of a light he became a horrible person.
For his part, Khadla stated that he only became a physicist with his youngest son “in self-defense” and that, although he might have been involved in typical parenting actions, such as spanking when his children were young, he was neither physically controlling nor abusive.
The judgment continues.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.