Police respond to child’s appeal on social media
sharjah — The Sharjah Police have intervened to solve the problem of an eight-year-old Arab girl, who appealed to His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and His Highness Dr Sheikh Sultan bin Mohammed Al Qasimi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Sharjah, to stop her mother from taking her into custody by force.
The girl appeared on a video which went viral and sparked outrage among the residents in the emirate. In the video, she was seen crying and asking the Rulers to intervene to stop her mother from taking her by force. She said that her father was jailed after her mother filed a case against him over a bounced cheque of Dh3 million. “My loving father is in the Sharjah jail for failing to pay the amount to my mother. If my mother takes my custody she will beat and torture me. I don’t want to go with her,” the child was seen saying in the video.
A top official at the Sharjah Police said that after receiving the video, they immediately contacted the girl and her parents. It was
My loving father is in the Sharjah jail for failing to pay the amount to my mother. If my mother takes my custody, she will beat and torture me. I don’t want to go with her.” The 8-year-old girl
found out that the parents have some martial issues which involve financial disputes. The case is under consideration of the court, said the official. “Unfortunately, the police are unable to do anything in this case now. The cases of her parents are with the court and we can’t do anything without a court ruling that would grant
Unfortunately, the police are unable to do anything in this case now. The cases of her parents are with the court and we can’t do anything without a court ruling”. A top official, Sharjah Police
justice to whoever deserve it.”
However, the official warned against using social media to circulate video related to family affairs.
Many social media activists expressed their anger of involving children in martial disputes or using them to gain sympathy of others to solve their problems. Some others urged the authorities to introduce a mechanism or law to stop exploiting the social media for this kind of purposes.
Yaqoub Al Hamadi, social worker at the child protection department in Sharjah, said that involving children in differences between divorced parents would have negative psychological impact on their future. “Awareness among the public should be intensified on the importance of ensuring healthy atmosphere for the children to grow up into good citizens,” he added.