Man tells how his son’s suffering at mother’s hand was ignored

Father tells of how Wadeema's Law got him custody of his children, one of whom was being abused by his mother and whose school was not listening to him.

DUBAI // Two children have been reunited with their father thanks to the Child Protection Law after years of abuse by their mother.

David, an American, lost custody of his children after splitting up with his European wife. His son repeatedly complained to teachers that his mother was always angry but the school did not pick up on the signs.

Four years later, when a teacher trained in child protection noticed bruising, the boy’s claims were taken seriously and Dubai child protection officers stepped in.

“The school had received reports from my children that there was a lot of beating going on from their mother,” David said.

“When my son complained about the abuse to the school, it was not considered problematic. It was coming from a young boy who was saying his mum was always angry with him.

“It wasn’t until Year 6 that he found a teacher who was a go-between for children having home troubles.

“He listened to my son, who was saying he was getting hit every single day. My ex-wife was threatening to throw him off the balcony or out of a car.

“Thankfully, that teacher initiated a dialogue with me and child protection services. I had a call from them shortly afterwards asking if I was aware of Wadeema’s Law.”

The Child Protection law is informally known as Wadeema’s Law, named after a girl, 8, who was tortured to death by her father and his girlfriend in Dubai.

The first case brought to court under the law was in November last year. Under the legislation, child protection specialists can intervene when a child’s health, physical or psychological, is threatened.

“Wadeema’s Law was something they were trying to use as a guide even though it was not fully in play yet in the court system,” David said.

“I was called in for a chat. They interviewed my ex-wife in her home, asking her to sign a contract in basic English and Arabic to look after the kids, not subject them to harm, protect them and do what is asked of a mother.

“She signed the contract, which was a binding agreement between her and the UAE Government, to care for the children.”

Although the children were allowed to go home with their mother, the abuse restarted. This time, the school immediately called their father, who took them from school and to the hospital, where police were waiting to file an assault case.

Child protection officers issued a report calling for the children to be removed from their mother’s custody, followed by a court order.

“The woman at child protection was the most brilliant person to deal with,” David said. “The court was more difficult and didn’t understand how my wife could be the abuser, as it is rarely reported in the UAE.

The mother was not jailed but lost custody and visiting rights.