Dubai: A five-year-old boy stopped loving his babysitter and stopped sleeping comfortably due to upsetting dreams that he started having after she had beaten him on three different occasions.
The boy suffered psychological and mental imbalance and stopped sleeping comfortably due to frightening dreams that he started having after being repeatedly beaten by his Asian babysitter, who is in police custody, according to Ahmad Al Attar, Assistant Chief Prosecutor of Bur Dubai Prosecution.
Neighbours saw the Asian babysitter slapping the boy and treating him abusively when he dropped her phone on the ground by mistake, according to Al Attar, who said she has been accused of child abuse and referred to the Dubai Misdemeanours Court.
“The babysitter was hired by the boy’s mother to take good care of her child and watch him out during her presence at her work in another emirate. On the day of the incident, the babysitter slapped the child three times and grabbed him from his neck abusively as she was scolding him for having dropped her phone on the ground by mistake. A woman neighbour, who witnessed the babysitter’s abusive and heartless behaviour with the boy, rushed towards her … she scolded her and took the five-year-old child away and kept him with her until his mother returned home. The neighbour alerted the mother of what she had witnessed before the mother reported the matter to the police. The Asian woman has been officially accused of treating the child violently and abusively and beating him,” said Al Attar.
The babysitter beat up the boy in the park of the villa compound where he lives and her behaviour is an act that is incriminated and punishable by Wadeema Law, he said.
Several persons and including the neighbour saw the babysitter beating the child in public, according to Al Attar, who said the neighbour instantly notified the mother and kept the boy with her.
“During questioning, several women neighbours testified that they had seen the suspect repeatedly beating the boy on the premises on different occasions … they said that they didn’t interfere. Meanwhile, we heard the boy’s statement through a specialised counsellor in a friendly room and atmosphere. The boy said he does not love the babysitter anymore because she had beaten him in the park and on his private parts twice at home prior to that. He also told the counsellor that he had been seeing bad dreams and was afraid that she might come out of prison and beat him again,” added the assistant chief prosecutor.
Dubai Police’s forensic examiner confirmed that the boy had sustained different injuries.
The Public Prosecution’s psychological counsellor, Khadija Al Maidour, said the child suffered from constant anxiety and developed strong fears that the suspect might come out of prison and beat him.
“His mental and emotional state has been affected by the babysitter’s abusive treatment. He constantly feels embarrassed to meet others since she had beaten him on his private parts,” said Al Maidour.
Al Attar said every child has a right to have a safe life, constant care, and emotional and psychological stability.
“Wadeema Law obliges everyone to report any incidents of child abuse or endangerment to the specialised child protection units. The law has been enacted to ensure children’s safety, protection and preservation of their rights. It has also come to protect children and maintain their rights before a crime is committed or a kid is abused,” he concluded.
