New legislation can put an end to every child abuse case in the country. But that can happen only if all of us work together to enforce it.
The child protection law – initially called Wadeema’s Law in memory of the Emirati girl who was tortured to death by her father and his girlfriend – was drafted by the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Interior.
They later combined efforts to ensure harsh penalties for offenders and a high level of social protection is granted to all children. The law, as officials frequently stated, is meant to ensure such a tragedy does not occur again.
The law has become widely known for the introduction of a child specialist’s provision. These specialists are granted authority to protect children by removing a child from a home if found in imminent danger, without requiring a court order.
In fact, focus on this clause made parents unappreciative of the other parts of the law. During the drafting stage, several parents expressed concerns to Federal National Council members that the law would obstruct their parenting methods and the way they disciplined their children.
Such concerns suggest more needs to be done to talk to the community about the many provisions within the legislation.
The law, one of the most important in the country and the most comprehensive in the region, is intended to ensure that a child is protected from everyone who is in contact with them until the age of 18, not only at home, but everywhere, including online. It has placed responsibility on all those in society, including doctors, nurses, hospital staff, teachers, nurseries, shopkeepers, drivers and even cinemas, among others, to ensure child safety.
Adults approached by an abused child will have a duty to alert authorities. Failure to do so will result in fines of up to Dh50,000. Aside from the long list of rights given to children, the law also places a number of duties upon them, including putting an end to truancy.
Just as the law was scrutinised down to its very last details by experts, it now needs to be studied by the public, who need to be clear of their own responsibilities.
FNC members have said that just like many laws before it, the lack of knowledge and awareness will be its greatest obstacle.
One example is the 2009 anti-tobacco law, which bans smoking in malls. An investigation by The National in 2013 found that many outlets still served shisha. Under the child protection law, outlets are prohibited from serving shisha to minors or allowing them to be exposed to second-hand smoke.
Training needs to be given a high priority to ensure practitioners can spot signs of abuse or neglect. Traders will need to be given the tools to deal with children who resist the law.
Clear infrastructure is also vital to ensure that in extreme cases, when children are removed from their home, these interventions are carried out in a manner that does not disturb the child’s upbringing or education. While on a visit with the FNC to the judicial department in Abu Dhabi last year, an official from the court told the council that although they were eagerly awaiting the law for its heavy penalties, they struggled to see how it could be enforced, particularly in the Northern Emirates, which have fewer resources than Dubai and Abu Dhabi. He said they saw child abuse cases on a monthly basis. He said even Abu Dhabi and Dubai would struggle to enforce the law completely. The official highlighted the need for strong infrastructure and a place for these children to be sheltered.
While the Ministry of Social Affairs and the Ministry of Interior now hold a big responsibility to ensure proper infrastructure and resources are available to accommodate abused children, it is crucial for every person in society to know their duty to ensure such a pivotal law is enforced.
Only then would the story of Wadeema be the last we hear of such a tragedy.
Ola Salem is a former political reporter at The National
