(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A disagreement between a couple over the ideal school and curriculum for their daughter led to her not being able to attend school even as she crossed eight years of age. On getting to know about the girl's ordeal, the Human Rights Department of the Dubai Police stepped in and forced her parents to select a school for their child.
This is only one of the four complaints the department received about parents preventing their children from attending school.
According to Dr Mohammed Al Murr, the department's director, sometimes, the father refuses to hand over his children's certificates to their mother or pay for their schooling after divorce.
Mother beats special needs boy
Some schools, Dr Al Murr said, contacted the department after observing negligence on the parents' part. In one such case, a special needs centre contacted the department saying a European boy had red marks on his hand. The Women and Child Protection Department of the police contacted the boy's mother, who admitted to beating the child. She told the police she was depressed as she is a divorcee with three children to take care of.
Man refuses to legalise marriage in court
The Human Rights Department provided assistance to a woman whose husband refused to authenticate their marriage in court. According to the woman, her father got her married to her husband in the presence of an Imam and two witnesses. However, the husband refused to go to the court to legalise their marriage.
After she got pregnant, her husband refused to pay for her expenses or feed her. She went to the Dubai Courts, but that did not help as she did not have a marriage certificate.
She then approached the department. Police officials held several meetings with her husband, who admitted to marrying the woman. To complicate matters, however, the man has insisted that a DNA test be conducted on his wife to confirm that she is carrying his child.
Fatima Al Kindi, Head of Social Support Section at the Human Rights Department, stressed the importance of get-ting marriage certificates authenticated by specialised courts.
amira@khaleejtimes.com
She expressed regret at beating her son and undertook that she would never do so again. She also agreed to see a psychiatrist to help her deal with depression.
Driver molests 8-year-old
The police also rescued a girl who was allegedly molested by a driver. A woman informed the Women and Child Protection Department that an Asian driver was kissing the eight-year-old girl while transporting her to school.
Police investigations revealed that the girl's mother is a divorcee and depends on the driver to transport her daughter to school.
The police advised her to accompany her daughter to school. The driver told the police that he kisses the girl as she is like a daughter to him.
False alarms
Captain Mohammed Naji, Director of the Women and Child Protection Department, said a woman informed them that her 16-year-old son often came home late and had mobile phones that she did not give him. The police investigated the matter, but found that the boy was not indulging in any illegal activities. It turned out that the boy was a member of a sports club, which his mother was not aware of.
In another case, Captain Naji said, a man informed the department that a woman was neglecting her daughter. As it emerged later, however, the man did this out of spite. The police found that the woman was not neglecting her daughter. "Those who provide false information will be penalised," warned Captain Naji.
Child rights conference
The Human Rights Department will host the Child Rights Conference in cooperation with the United Nations Children's Fund (Unicef) in the presence of Shaikh Mansour bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum on April 29 and 30. The theme of the conference for this year is 'child protection'. Over 35 papers will be presented by children aged between 13 and 19 years during the event that is expected to be attended by over 400 dignitaries and experts in the field.
Fatima Al Baloushi, the coordinator of the conference, said representatives from 14 schools will attend the conference.
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