Abu Dhabi: The family of Loujain Hussain claims that she was refused admission for the new academic year at the school where she was attacked by bullies in the schoolyard earlier this year, Gulf News has learnt.
Loujain’s older brother, Mahran Hussain, 22, said yesterday his 11-year-old sister,a Grade 7 pupil, was refused entry when she attempted to return to the school for the new term.
He said: “My sister wanted to be close to her friends, even though my parents were insisting against it.
Her older sister, Maram, who was in the same school with Loujain, has graduated and Loujain would not be around any familiar faces if she went to another school.”
According to Mahran, the school told Loujain’s parents that they refuse to be responsible for the girl, after the incidents which took place earlier this year.
A school spokesperson was not available for comment despite repeated calls to the school.
“Legally, the school has no right to deny Loujain enrolment in the school. The parents now have to go to the Abu Dhabi Education Council (Adec) in order to resolve the issue,” said Mansour Lootah, a lawyer at Pan Globe Advocates and Legal Consultancy, who is handling Loujain’s case.
Lootah said he has requested a copy from the general prosecution, of the documents necessary to take the case to the Abu Dhabi Court.
He told Gulf News that the public prosecution has promised to provide him with copies of these documents within the next two days allowing him to defend Loujain in court. “I see this as a humanitarian issue,” he said.
Loujain’s mother, Maha Abdul Kader also plans to file a complaint at Adec’s private school division on the school’s decision to deny admission to Loujain.
The schoolgirl suffered from a brain haemorrhage and permanent damage of the left-field vision in both of her eyes, after a group of Grade 4 pupils beat her up at her school in April this year.
Following the attack, she remained in a coma for nearly three weeks while hospitalised at Shaikh Kalifa Medical City.
Dr. Yousuf Al Hadi, Consultant Psychiatrist at Al Noor Hospital, told Gulf News that Loujain could be happier at a different school.
He said: “It is not wise to take her back to the same school, as this will trigger painful memories and reinforce the state of fear, lack of confidence and poor self esteem [which her parents reported she has been] experiencing.”
According to Al Hadi, going to a new premises also requires preparation. “Loujain’s opinions and feelings should also be taken into consideration. She should be assessed and followed up by a psychologist in the beginning, and the teachers and counsellors at the new school should be made aware of her condition in order to give her the care and attention she needs,” he added.
