Expat mum fined Dh3,000 for defaming Dubai nursery

The 34-year-old woman claimed her son was assaulted by his teacher at the nursery.

DUBAI // A mother has been fined Dh3,000 by Dubai Court of Misdemeanours after she was found guilty of defaming a nursery where her son was a pupil.

DS, a 34-year-old Canadian housewife, denied the charge in court. "I did not mean to scandalise them," she said.

Prosecutors charged her with fabricating an incident in which she claimed her son had been beaten by his teacher in order to defame the Jumeirah International Kindergarten.

The Jumeirah Beach Residence resident claimed that on the morning of January 23 she was standing behind the door to her 3-year-old son's class and saw his nursery teacher hit him on the head.

She said she complained to management about the incident. "I took my son out of there then sent an email to other parents informing them that their children were not safe in that place," said DS during her prosecution interrogation.

Her email was sent to 14 parents. "I informed the Ministry of Social affairs unknowing that I can report them to police," she said.

The email said that the incident was not to be taken lightly and that she will be contacting the Ministry of Social Affairs as well as the media.

"I'm sorry but I did not know that warning others has become against the law," DS told prosecutors.

On January 29, SS, an Indian partner at the nursery, reported DS to police.

"We investigated the incident and there was no assault on her son," said SS.