Call for parents to face the full force of child neglect laws
▶ Welfare advocate says legislation from 2016 must be strictly enforced
Neglectful parents must face the full force of the law if their children die because of lack of care, a child safety expert says.
Mouza Al Shoumy, deputy head of Emirates Child Protection Association, said a UAE law of 2016 to protect children from abuse and neglect was not being used to its full extent.
The association is a government body that was launched last November. Ms Al Shoumy believes more must be done to cut the number of deaths involving inaction from parents and caregivers.
“If a child fell from a window or a balcony, was locked up in a car or drowned in a pool, who do I hold responsible?” she asked. “Should it be the chair he used to climb up, the window, the balcony, the pool, the car – or his parents for failing to follow safety procedures?”
Ms Al Shoumy said many deaths could be prevented if family members took the proper safety precautions, and they must face legal consequences if they fail to do so.
She said many cases of children dying because of lack of care did not lead to parents being taken to court.
“In one case, a child went missing for eight days and in another, two children were left alone in the car by their parents, who went shopping,” Ms Al Shoumy said. “They could have died, and the parents, who are clearly negligent, should have been held accountable.
The UAE child protection law was passed in June 2016. It ensured for the first time that anyone in contact with a child, including parents, teachers, doctors and nurses, could be held accountable for causing harm, and are legally obliged to report suspicions of abuse.
Ms Al Shoumy said the association was working on a nationwide proposal suggesting a condition be added to tenancy contracts making it obligatory for those who have children to install windows and pool protection.
Hassan Elhais, from Al Rowad Advocates, said the country’s child protection law was explicit in cases of neglect and penalties, and did not exclude parents if they were proven at fault.
“That’s why the law used the word caregiver, in order to be comprehensive,” Mr Elhais said.
The law states that a caregiver is prohibited from subjecting the child to neglect or abandonment, and from leaving them without supervision.
Mr Elhais said the law stated the punishment for such offences was imprisonment, a Dh5,000 fine or both.
But Dubai Prosecution said it had become tougher in cases related to children’s wellbeing and safety since the law was passed.
“We have prosecuted parents and referred them to court,” said Mohammed Rustom, head of the family and juvenile prosecution division.
The challenge they face is to prove that the parents were responsible, he said.
“If a child is metres away from his parents, falls and then is critically injured, its quite tough to blame the parents. We can’t be emotional, we have to be practical and as per law, find evidence to establish presence of negligence.”
One parent said that landlords and government bodies must play their protect in ensuring safe environments are in place for children.
“Tenants should not be responsible for installing window or balcony security bars,” said Yasser Musbeh, a Jordanian father of two. “The municipality should make it mandatory when approving any licence for a residential building construction.”
Aidah Saleem, a nurse who has three daughters, said parents must also take action to protect their own children.
“The minute my first daughter turned six months and started crawling, I safeguarded the house and installed bars on all of my windows,” Ms Saleem said.