(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The law in the UAE invites the strictest of punishment when it comes to parental assault or child-neglect as parents are responsible for their kids.
A woman, who beat her four-year-old daughter to death, has been sentenced to 13 years in jail of which three years are for negligence. The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance cleared the father of the child of being involved in the crime, but sentenced him to three years in prison for negligence.
The sentences can be appealed within 15 days. A legal source said the law in the UAE invites the strictest of punishment when it comes to parental assault or child-neglect as parents are responsible for their kids. Proceedings of the case, upon request of the two defendants, were captured on camera.
The victim, Maryam, was rushed to the emergency room of a city hospital after she complained of difficulty in breathing and profuse vomiting. She died a short while later. Doctors at the hospital observed that the girl was very slim, and showed traces of assault over a period of time.
The death, they concluded, was the result of multiple strikes on the head, which led to brain a haemorrhage. They immediately informed the police. Police investigations revealed that the girl was brought up in isolation. Neighbours and friends of the parents of the girl did not know about her existence.
During questioning, the mother of the girl admitted that the girl was not allowed to have food for long periods, sometimes for a whole day. The woman used to beat Maryam and lock her up. "My daughter was not allowed to accompany us when we visited friends, relatives or went shopping," she said.
The woman claimed that Maryam was "naughty" and hence was forced "to discipline her".
During investigation, she claimed that her death had not been caused by her beating, but because she fell down. This claim, however, was not substantiated by forensic reports, which suggested that multiple beatings had caused the girl's death.
Meanwhile, the father of the girl said he did not interfere in raising his daughter, and his relationship was confined to his son. He declared that upbringing girls is the duty of the mother.
The parents admitted that they raised their daughter "differently" from their son.
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