Dubai The family of a man who allegedly tortured and killed his eight-year-old daughter before dumping her body in the desert has called for his execution.
The parents of Hamad, 27, a jobless Emirati man and the prime suspect in the death of his daughter Wadeema, told XPRESS in an exclusive interview he must face the gallows.
Dubai Police found Wadeema’s remains near Al Fayah, a village off Hatta-Oman road, earlier this week following a complaint filed by Mohammmad, 29, the suspect’s eldest brother.
Hamad, a former government employee who lost his job due to an unspecified offence, is the third child in a brood of seven.
Speaking from their five-bedroom villa in Barsha 3 in Dubai, the suspect’s parents said they want to see their son face capital punishment.
Hamad’s father Saud, 52, a former Ministry of Foreign Affairs employee, said: “This is not a simple matter. The family has made a decision. I want him [Hamad] executed.”
His wife Aida told XPRESS: “We seek the maximum punishment for this crime.”
On Tuesday, His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, visited Latifa Hospital to meet Wadeema’s younger sister Mira, seven, who was also allegedly tortured but survived.
Life of abuse
After his visit to the hospital, Shaikh Mohammad ordered a draft federal law on child protection to ensure a secure and stable future for children in the UAE.
Wednesday, it was announced that Shaikh Mohammad will pay Mira’s education expenses.
Meanwhile, sordid details of a life of abuse allegedly endured by the two girls at the hands of their father and his live-in partner were shared with XPRESS by the family on Tuesday as they welcomed visitors offering condolences in the family’s villa where the girls also spent part of their lives.
Aida, the victim’s grandmother, described Wadeema as “mild tempered”.
“They preferred to keep to themselves. Wadeema and Mira did not like to play around. They preferred to do house work, they cooked and cleaned at a tender age.”
