Sexual aggression towards children was alien to the UAE, a society that is steeped in tradition, but awareness of these crimes against the most vulnerable section of the population is growing.
Stories of children as young as four and five falling victim to sexual abuse in the Emirates have shocked parents who have woken up to the harsh reality that a paedophile could be on the prowl in their neighbourhood.
Supermarkets, parks, cinemas and other public places, which were once considered safe havens for children, are now watched by parents who say there is no room for complacency when it comes to the safety of their children.
Rasha Abdul Razak, an Emirati mother, said gone are the days when as a child she used to roam the neighbourhood unsupervised.
"I remember when we were young, the gates of our villa and the doors to the house were always left open and kids would be running around. Our parents never used to worry. But things have changed so much that I cannot imagine my children doing the same [today]. I never let my daughter wander off anywhere without being supervised," said Razak, who lives in Jumeirah. She thinks that children well before the age of five should be made aware of the dangers and warned about talking to strangers.
Brutal rape
Nicola Redshaw, a mother of two children ages 12 and seven, said that although children are much safer in Dubai than in her home country the UK, one cannot be complacent anymore.
"While living in Dubai, I always thought of such things as happening in a faraway world. But now you get a feeling that it is right at your door and it is scary," said Redshaw.
The brutal rape and murder of a four-year-old Pakistani boy in the washroom of a mosque on Eid Al Adha in January, and another incident involving the rape of a mentally challenged boy in Bur Dubai, have brought the message home that such crimes are happening right on people's doorsteps.
The paranoia was palpable as parents were quick to throw a protective cover over their little ones even if it meant restricting their movements.
Mushtaq Ahmad, a banker from Pakistan, said after reading about the rape and murder of the four-year-old, he has stopped sending his six-year-old son to the grocery store in the building where he lives in Al Majaz, Sharjah.
"It is a quiet and safe place where we live and I thought it was a good idea to instill some confidence in the boy by letting him go and get a packet of milk or juice on his own. But now I have stopped that just because I am scared for his safety," he said.
Harassed
He added that his daughter was once harassed in the lift and after that she was never sent anywhere alone.
"Boys are as vulnerable as girls these days and as parents we always have to be on alert. What we can do best is always keep an eye on them," said the father of three.
While cases of sexual abuse of minors are now widely covered by the media, sparking a debate on the issue of child safety and the need to have stringent background checks on people who work closely with children, authorities acknowledge that many incidents of sexual abuse go unreported.
"We continue to work under the culture of taboos in most Arab, oriental and Islamic societies today, which has a serious effect in dealing with issues of molestation and rape," said Dr Mohammad Murad, Director of the Decisions Support Centre at Dubai Police.
He said although the number of recorded sexual crimes against children does not exceed 22 per year, "in reality I think the number is much higher".
Urging the victims to report the crime, Murad said every police station has specialists who deal with issues of sexual abuse in complete confidence.
What sociologists say
Is sexual abuse a new phenomenon that has crept into our society because of the rapidly changing economic and cultural dynamics?
Sociologists beg to differ. According to them, the significant number of cases that are being reported does not necessarily indicate an explosion of sexual abuse crime around us. Meenaz Kassam, assistant professor of Sociology at the American University of Sharjah said dysfunctional people who commit sexual offences against children have always existed in every society no matter how traditional or religious they are.
“No society is immune to dysfunctional people. The only difference is now we are open enough to talk about these crimes or report it to the authority. Now that we are talking about it, the good thing is we are fostering an environment that does not tolerate such offences anymore,” said Kassam.
Deterrent
She added many countries that previously did not divulge the name of the sexual offender are now letting the name out so that the shame attached to it should act as a deterrent to the crime.
However the transient nature of the population in the UAE and the varying cultural ethos they bring with them, she added could make the country more susceptible to the crime.
What is Sexual Abuse?
Forcing or tricking a child or minor into taking part in any kind of sexual activity amounts to sexual abuse. This can include fondling, kissing, touching genitals or breasts, intercourse or oral sex. Encouraging a child to look at pornographic magazines, videos or sexual acts is also sexual abuse.
Any form of sexual abuse can inflict long-term psychological harm on the young victims. Dr Raymond Hamden, clinical and forensic psychologist at the Human Relations Institute in Dubai said the effects of child sexual abuse include guilt and self-blame, invasive thoughts as nightmares and flashbacks, insomnia and fear of things associated with the abuse (including objects, smells, places, doctor’s visits etc.)
A child who was subjected to abuse can also suffer from low self-esteem issues, sexual disorders, chronic pain, addiction, self-injury, suicidal ideation, depression, obesity, post traumatic stress disorder, anxiety, other mental illnesses including personality disorders.
“Sexual abuse by a family member is a form of incest, and can result in more serious and long-term psychological trauma, especially in the case of parental incest,” warns Hamden.
Dr Mohammad Murad, Director of the Decisions Support Centre at Dubai Police, said sexual abuse causes behavioural problems in children and often starts a cycle that is passed to future generations.
How to protect children against abuse
Kehkashan is nine years old and she knows she could only shake hands with strangers. Swati Basu, her mother says that she has given her daughter stern instructions that she cannot let anybody kiss or hug her, even if it is a relative.
Basu from India says ever since Kehkashan was five, she used to ward her off from overt physical affection shown by people, especially because she is a plump kid. “I tell her that all people are not clean and some people, even if they are well-dressed can hurt her,” said the mother.
Experts say that parental care and supervision are crucial in protecting a child against sexual abuse as unattended children are easy targets of paedophiles. According to global statistics, in most cases of sexual abuse, the offenders are either a close relative or friend of the family who has unrestricted access to the child.
Hence experts say it is important to make children aware of the ‘good touch’ and ‘bad touch’ so that they feel confident to talk about sexual advances of any kind to a trusted adult. Children should also be taught that not all adults they know are nice, and can do bad things to them.
What to tell children:
1 Don’t touch a stranger or let them touch you.
2 Nobody can kiss you other than your family.
3 Don’t change your clothes in front of others.
4 Do not accept gifts from strangers.
5 Do not sleep on anybody else’s bed.
6 Parents should know if somebody touches you inappropriately.
7 If you do not like a touch, immediately tell your parents.
8 Do not let anyone touch your private parts.
Timeline: Victims of sexual abuse
February 21, 2010
Prosecutors charged a 26-year-old Asian carpenter with molesting an Indian schoolgirl in Al Rifaa, Dubai
January 14, 2010
A visitor was charged with kidnapping an eight-year-old schoolgirl after she left a Quran learning centre in Dubai, and allegedly raping her in a parking area while she clutched the Quran.
December 30, 2009
An Asian man in his 30s was arrested and referred to the public prosecution for allegedly raping a mentally disabled boy while he was walking alone in Bur Dubai
November 23, 2009
Dubai Court of First Instance charged a 54-year-old Arab teacher with molesting a 15-year-old Emirati schoolgirl in her school kitchen while she was making herself a hot drink.
June 25, 2009
A 10-year-old girl was allegedly molested at the Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre in Abu Dhabi. The girl said that a man approached her and started touching her inappropriately.
December 11, 2007
A Dubai court sentenced two Arab men to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and sexually abusing a 15-year-old French boy.
May 31, 2007
Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced a 24-year-old Asian school gardener to 25 years in jail for attempted rape and molesting a seven-year-old schoolboy, who refused to go to school thereafter.
Have your say
Have you had to change your children’s lifestyle to protect them from sexual predators? Are your children aware of the dangers of sexual predators? Is child abuse on the rise or is society facing the problem by talking about it more? Share your views.
