Mother denies burning daughter, 3, with iron

A mother denied burning her 3-year-old daughter with an iron and said the injuries happened when the child was with her father, the Dubai Court of Misdemeanors heard on Tuesday morning.

DUBAI // A mother denied burning her 3-year-old daughter with an iron and said the injuries happened when the child was with her father, Dubai Court of Misdemeanors heard on Tuesday morning.

Emirati FA, 29, is charged with assaulting her daughter, SS, and leaving her with bruises and burns.

On February 13, the child’s father, SA, said he noticed the injuries after he collected his daughter from his ex-wife’s house and reported it to police.

“My ex-wife had been awarded custody of our only daughter. On that day I saw my daughter and noticed bruises on her thighs, knees and shoulder as well as burns so I took her to Al Qasimi Hospital and they provided me with a report,” said SA.

The mother said in records that she did not assault her daughter but that the child had fallen off a bed when the maid was ironing next to her, causing the iron to fall on her.

“My sister and her husband witnessed when she fell and got burnt by the iron and informed me as I was at work at the time and she was at their place,” said FA, but in another testimony she said the maid had called and informed her of the incident and that she called her sister to check on the child.

FA said that SA took his daughter on his visitation day and did not bring her back home at the agreed time.

“When she left my house to see her father, I dressed her myself and she had no injuries. He then called my sister’s husband several times and sent him a picture of an injury on my daughter’s body, so I had my sister’s husband call my ex-husband so I can talk with my daughter,” said FA.

She added that her daughter told her she had fallen.

A report obtained by the father from Al Qasimi Hospital said that the child had been assaulted but her mother denied causing the injuries and said the girl got them when she was with her father.

A few months after the father lodged his complaint, the mother gave up custody of her daughter to her ex-husband following an agreement between the two.

The next hearing will be on November 4.