A Muslim family was arrested in Nashville after a juvenile victim told law enforcement authorities that his parents and brother physically attacked him for converting to Christianity.
According to an arrest warrant, the minor was punched in the face and spit at by his mother, father, and brother.
The mother, Rawaa Khawaji, has also been accused of scratching one of the boy’s hands with a knife.
The young man had reportedly been told by his family to renounce his Christianity and recommit himself to Islam.
According to WZTV, his mother, ‘along with his brother and father, repeatedly punched him and spat in his face.’
‘He stated his mother then took a knife and scratched the back of his right hand with it. He stated his family, including his mother, demanded he recant and say he was a Muslim.’
Nick Kadum, the teen’s father, who was arrested earlier this month on a domestic abuse charge
The boy’s mother, Rawaa Khawaji, was also arrested for slashing the boy’s hand with a knife during the assault
His 29-year-old brother, John Kadum, was arrested with his parents for partaking in the abuse as well
The family’s home in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee
Law enforcement officers conducted a welfare check on December 11 after they became aware of the situation via the teen’s employer, who expressed concern.
When member of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department arrived at the suburban Tennessee home, they found the boy ‘trembling and wide eyed’ with ‘disheveled’ hair.
He said the attacks had gone on up until the moment law enforcement arrived.
His injuries included lumps on his face and visible scratches. He described being shaken from the ordeal.
The minor was transported to the hospital and his parents – Nick Kadum, 57, Khawaji, 46 – and brother, John Kadum, 29, were booked and charged over the incident.
Khawaji was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Nick and John were charged with domestic assault.
Online records indicate John and Nick were released Tuesday afternoon, while Khawaji remained in custody a bit longer.
It is not clear where the victim is currently staying.