DUBAI // A man beat his 12-year-old son to death because he was not doing his school homework, a court heard.
Police were called to Zulekha Hospital in Al Qusais after the arrival of the body of 12-year-old Nigerian I B. A physical examination of the child triggered suspicion and a post-mortem later showed he died as a result of internal bleeding.
Emirati police lieutenant F M, 27, told prosecutors that when he arrived at the hospital after midnight on on April 18 this year he saw the boy’s father Z B, 37, from Nigeria, acting hysterically.
“I asked him what happened, he told me he gave the boy his milk after which he started vomiting and complaining from pains in the stomach and when his condition worsened, he brought him to hospital,” said F M.
A coroner’s report stated death was caused by internal bleeding due to a blow in the abdomen.
Pakistani G H, 52, worked as the child’s private tutor for almost a month, during which time she told the court she had noticed bruises on his face and body.
“At first he told me he fell off the table. He then confessed he had been beaten by his father,” said G H.
“When the boy was a student at school, I informed the administration of my suspicion that his father physically abuses him. The supervisor contacted his father who said he just wanted his son to be among the excellent students because he pays all his money on his education.”
A security guard at the building where Z B lived testified the father often took his son to the swimming pool when no one around and would beat him.
“On Thursday, April 16, I saw him holding his son’s head and pushing it underwater as if he was trying to drown him. When I asked what he was doing, he said he was just teaching him to swim,” said 37-year-old Indian M A, adding the father continued pushing his son’s head underwater for nearly 15 minutes while the boy begged and cried.
“He always had bruises on his body and would often say he fell or injured himself while playing,” said the guard.
Emirati coroner K A, 35, said a post mortem examination showed the boy suffered from damage to the intestines as well as internal bleeding in the abdomen.
“He should have been referred to hospital earlier, which may have saved his life but also may have not have due to the severity of his injuries,” said K A.
He said other bruises on the child’s body were caused by kicking, beating and punching. He added the boy also suffered fractured ribs caused by someone sitting or standing on his chest.
Records show that Z B brought the boy to the UAE from Nigeria a year ago.
Police said the boy had been searching online for help to treat his stomach pains. A sentence reading “Help, I got hit on my stomach” was found on his iPad.
It was also revealed after a DNA test that Z B was not the boy’s biological father.
Z B underwent a psychiatric evaluation that ruled he was aware of his actions. In court he denied a charge of premeditated murder.
The next hearing will be on November 22.
salamir@thenational.ae
