Dubai: A divorced woman who gave birth out of wedlock locked herself up for 10 years fearing she would be prosecuted.
Police on Wednesday said the Emirati woman divorced her husband and then had a string of affairs. She got pregnant and used her old marriage certificate to give birth in October 2000 in Iranian Hospital. She gave birth on the 19th and took the boy home the next day.
The woman produced her marriage certificate, saying her husband was travelling, and therefore, could not be contacted, Reem Amiri, an official of the Victim's Support Programme at Al Qusais Police Station, told reporters on Wednesday.
"At the end of 2007, Al Qusais Police Station got a report from an anonymous caller, saying there was a child around seven years old who was being neglected by his mother. The caller said though he was a boy, he was wearing a girl's dress. The caller asked police to intervene," Reem said.
Reem said she visited the house in Al Qusais built in the traditional style.
"It was in a terrible condition. I was scared to go in. The house was dirty and smelling. Even the woman, who was in her early 40s seemed terrified. She was hesitant to open the door. The house was owned by her family and was divided into two sections, one half for the woman and the other for her sister," Reem said.
The woman's parents had passed away, and she had lost touch with all her family members. Her sister did not live with her. The woman told police she had been divorced. She said she did not know who the father of the boy was.
"We feel that she had multiple relationships following her divorce and hence she did not know who the father was," Reem said.
The woman would get a sum of Dh1,500 a month, which was her father's pension. She would not leave the house at all, fearing she would be picked up by police. She would only step out to buy groceries.
She would not take the boy out of the house. He was not sent to school, and she would only allow him to play for a short while in front of the house.
"The woman, who is a high school graduate, had a job in the public sector, but she had to quit because she got pregnant. When we found her, she was in an extreme state of depression.
"From 2007 to 2009, police liaised with the Ministry of Social Affairs and the courts to issue the boy a birth certificate, which we were successful in doing. We also got him a passport. The boy is stable now and is going to school. Since he had not been sent to school, we had to admit him to an adult education centre. He is studying in grade one," Reem said.
The boy told the judge that he wanted to be named Abdullah, which was granted. The woman was counselled and police helped her get a job. Their lives have improved, but Reem said the woman is still affected by her past.
"The first time she travelled in a car after years she seemed uncomfortable. She would be hesitant to do even the most simple tasks. She has now started looking after the house and takes good care of her son," Reem said.
Monitored
The case is being monitored by the Victim's Support Programme on a weekly basis.
Reem said this is the first time police have come across such a case.
"We did not prosecute the woman because the incident happened more than 10 years ago and the charges get dropped automatically. But prosecution was not our priority because we wanted the boy to have a secure and happy life. We did everything we could to ensure the lives of the mother and son improved. They were living in inhuman conditions. Today, they have a future," Reem said.
