DUBAI // A father will spend the next 10 years in jail after being convicted of beating his 12-year-old son to death because he was not doing his homework.
Police were called after Nigerian Z B, 37, brought the boy’s body to Zulekha Hospital in Al Qusais after midnight on April 18 last year.
Emirati police lieutenant F M, 27, told prosecutors that Z B was hysterical.
“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 the officer.
A coroner’s report stated the cause of death was internal bleeding from a blow to the abdomen.
Pakistani G H, 52, who worked as the child’s private tutor for almost a month, told the court she noticed bruises on I B’s 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 said the father often took his son to the swimming pool and would beat him when no one was around.
“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 that 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.
“He should have been referred to hospital earlier, which may have saved his life, but also may not have due to the severity of his injuries,” said K A.
He said other bruises on the I B’s body were caused by kicking, beating and punching. He said the boy also suffered fractured ribs caused by someone sitting or standing on his chest.
Police said the boy had been searching online for help on how to treat his stomach pains. A sentence reading “Help, I got hit on my stomach” was found on his iPad.
A psychiatric evaluation ruled that Z B was aware of his actions. In court last October, he denied a charge of premeditated murder.
However, on Wednesday he was convicted and sentenced to 10 years in jail, after which he will be deported.
salamir@thenational.ae
