Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Police on Wednesday refuted the kidnapping of a young Emirati girl by an African woman, calling the videos of the supposed kidnapping “misleading and incorrect”, and a classic example of fake news.
The short videos were filmed by two sisters, both Gulf nationals. The duo have been referred to the Family Prosecution department for spreading harmful and false information.
In truth, the African lady in the videos is a domestic worker and was taking the young Emirati girl on a picnic, as instructed by the child’s mother. The girl started crying while she was being carried by the domestic worker. Seeing this, the two sisters started to film the incident, assuming the young girl was being kidnapped.
Colonel Omran Ahmed Al Mazroui, Director of Criminal Investigations Department, warned against spreading false videos or pictures that harm society. Al Mazroui added that law enforcement authorities would prosecute anyone accused of publishing false information, and that such acts fall under the law regarding misuse of information technology.
The Abu Dhabi Police also said that anyone who receives fake videos should not circulate them, in the interest of public order and safety — such videos should be reported to the authorities.
