US woman, 4-year-old daughter 'trapped' in Saudi Arabia after she divorced 'abusive' Saudi husband
A woman from the United States, who divorced her Saudi businessman husband, is reportedly stuck in the kingdom with their young daughter because of the country's restrictions on women.
The woman, identified as 31-year-old Bethany Vierra, has been living in Saudi Arabia since 2011. Vierra, originally from Washington state, moved to the kingdom to teach at a women's university and met her future husband there. The couple married in Portugal in 2013 and have a four-year-old daughter, according to the New York Times.
However, their relationship went down a spiral as Vierra claimed her husband was emotionally and verbally abusive towards her. The pair divorced in 2018.
Vierra's family has said that, ever since her divorce, the 31-year-old has been stuck in the country because of its stringent guardianship system under which women are often only as free as their male "guardians" — husbands, fathers or other male relatives — allow them to be. Vierra is a dual Saudi-American citizen and her ex-husband is still considered her and her daughter's guardian.