Dubai court fines man Dh1,000 for slapping two-year-old in shopping mall play area
The court ruled that the absence of physical marks did not negate the offence
The Dubai Court of Misdemeanour court has fined a European man Dh1,000 after finding him guilty of assaulting a two-year-old boy in a play area at a shopping mall.
The incident occurred in October last year when an Asian man filed a complaint alleging that a European in his 60s had slapped his son during a dispute between the boy and the defendant’s daughter, according to a report by Al Khaleej Arabic daily.
According to the complaint, the father rushed to the play area after hearing his child’s cries and found him pointing at the defendant, who ignored him and pretended to be occupied with his daughter. The father said he kept watching from a distance when the man approached the child again and slapped him, causing the boy to fall and hit a nearby wall, leaving him with bruises and emotional distress.
The defendant denied the accusation, claiming he had only tried to move the child away from his daughter, who had been disturbed by him several times, and that any contact was accidental. He also alleged that the boy’s father later assaulted him.
Although a medical report found no visible injuries on the child, the court ruled that the absence of physical marks did not negate the offence.
In its ruling, the court confirmed that the act of striking the child constituted assault, as it was intentional and carried out by free will, and therefore punishable under the law.
Sign up for the Daily Briefing
Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox
