‘A child should not be left alone’

Balconies along a street in Bur Dubai. Antonie Robertson / The National

DUBAI // Fourteen children have been killed in Dubai in falls from balconies and high places since 2012, police say.

Major Younis Albalooshy, director of the special forensic investigations department, said two cases were recorded in the emirate this year and four in 2015.

“The average ages of the victims ranged between two and four years old, but we’ve also had a case of a 15-year-old fall off a balcony,” he said. “It’s one thing when we deal with victims of car accidents, most of whom are adults, but it is so difficult when we get bodies of children.

“A parent must always keep the balcony closed, avoid putting chairs and tables on balconies, never leave a child unattended, and make sure the rails are at least half the height of that of an adult,” Maj Albalooshy said.

“A child should not be left alone – not even for a minute, death only takes a moment to happen.”

The forensics chief said that families should avoid putting out boxes or using their balconies for storage.

“Never allow children to climb anything on balconies, even if you are present, because they may any second lose their balance,” he said. “It does not matter if a child falls from the first floor or the 14th floor, it’s always immediate death as they fall on their heads, which tend to be heavier [than the rest of their bodies] during development.”

Most cases were considered a matter of neglect, and guardians were charged accordingly.

Maj Albalooshy recalled a case in which a guardian left a child sleeping in the flat while she went to pick up another child from the school bus.

“The child woke up and didn’t find his guardian at home and went to look for her,” said the policeman. “While the woman was walking back, the boy had fallen off the balcony.

“Even if a parent wants to leave the home for a few minutes, they should still put the baby in a stroller and take him with them.”

He also recommended that those who have children and live in homes with hinged windows should only allow a 10 centimetre opening.

“The standard is 20cm, but I would advise that 10cm be the maximum, as an infant’s head can fit in a 20cm gap,” Maj Albalooshy said.

“The difference in gap won’t affect the amount of air coming into the home.”

Of the 14 cases recorded since 2012, two were cases of children falling from surfaces 80cm or less.

“It could be a table or a chair, and if a child falls on their head it can result in death or bleeding in the brain,” he said.

“If a parent is changing a nappy on a surface and wants to leave for a second to get tissues or anything else, we recommend they put the baby on the floor.”