Police offer support to domestic-abuse victims

Dubai: Not only do police officers arrest criminals but their challenging tasks extend to offering humanitarian support to victims of crime — such as the recent case of a girl stabbed in the shoulder by her elder minor brother.

The siblings of Arab origin are between 15 to 17 years old, the brother had a history of abusing his younger sister out of jealously, said Major Rashid Al Falasi, Director of the crime monitoring department of Dubai Police.

"The older brother who is overly protective of his sister kept abusing and controlling her life. He used to verbally abuse her and at times hit her and threaten her using a knife. Recently he stabbed her on the shoulder causing a moderate injury," he said. The case was referred to police from hospital officials as it was a deliberate attack on a minor.

"A case was registered against the brother and it was referred to the public prosecution," he said.

The actual challenge is restoring a healthy environment for the teenager who was physically and psychologically scared, said Major Al Falasi.

For the past two months, "our social workers have sat with the parents of the girl and her brother to address the matter and offer solutions. The parents have acknowledged that they should have proactive roles in maintaining healthy interaction between their two children," he said.

The brother is believed to have expressed remorse and with collaboration from social workers at Dubai Police the relationship between the siblings have significantly improved.

"The brother, who himself is a teenager, was trapped in his own sheltered jealously and doubts about his sister's whereabouts.

We are not justifying his actions but as a department we address domestic problems and offers solutions. In the end, they are siblings, it's better to unite them than separate them," he said.

Learning a ‘lesson'

Since there was an attack on the sister, a case had to be registered and referred to the public prosecution.

"The brother has to learn a lesson," said Maj Al Falasi.

Another domestic abuse case was reported by an Asian woman who was severely abused by her husband who recently brought her to the country to live with him along with their child.

"The wife was so severely abused that she had to be separated from her husband and placed in a shelter at the Dubai Foundation for Woman and Children," he said.

The police are offering her continuous support until her case, which was referred to the public prosecution, is finalised.

According to a security source from Al Ameen Security Service, 12 domestic abuse cases were reported to their confidential service along with 140 reports on sexual harassment in 2009.

More than 46,000 individuals took part in the victim support programme provided by Dubai Police last year, a senior police official has said.

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