By Staff

The family of an old Saudi woman who was shot dead by a young relative after he mistook her for a monkey has pardoned him but he remained in jail.



Relatives of the woman, in her 60s, went to court in the western town of Taif on Saturday and told the judge they were pardoning the boy and dropping the case.



Newspapers said the boy has been sent to jail but added that the pardon by the victim’s family saved him from the gallows.



The boy had told police he shot the woman from a distance after mistaking her for a monkey trying to damage a tree in the neighborhood. It emerged later that the woman was plucking leaves from the tree for her sheep.



“Residents of the village said they intend to send a letter to the Minister of Interior to release the boy,” Sabq daily said.

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