Abu Dhabi court orders parent to pay Dh50,000 over son’s privacy violations

Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Civil Family and Administrative Court has ordered a parent to pay Dh50,000 in compensation on behalf of his minor son to the guardian of another child after the boy violated the family’s privacy and published images online.

The case centred on a series of incidents in which the minor entered the complainant’s home without permission, filmed the complainant’s son and shared the images on a social media platform with the intent to insult and bully him, according to court records.

The minor also damaged surveillance cameras inside the house and filmed the child’s bedroom and personal belongings before publishing the images online without the family’s knowledge or consent, Al Khaleej Arabic daily reported.

The complainant’s guardian had sought Dh550,000 in damages, citing material and moral harm resulting from the incident, including the invasion of privacy and reputational damage.

He told the court that the actions forced him to file a criminal complaint with the public prosecution, which opened an investigation and brought charges related to photographing and publishing images of the child without permission and violating the privacy of the home.

A final criminal ruling was later issued against the minor for the offences, the court heard.

In its civil judgment, the court found that the acts constituted a clear breach of personal privacy and the sanctity of the home, as well as a violation of prevailing laws and social norms.

The court ultimately ordered the parent, in his capacity as the legal guardian of the minor, to pay Dh50,000 in compensation to the complainant.