Dubai Police step in after 10-year-old reports father’s cruelty

Dubai: When a 10-year-old boy in Dubai gathered the courage to report his father for repeated beatings, he did it quietly—through the Dubai Police smart app. He didn’t know what he had done to deserve the bruises he was trying to hide from his classmates. All he knew was that the pain wouldn’t stop, and he had no one to turn to.

The boy, identified only as A.A., was not being punished alongside his younger siblings. He was singled out. His father's harsh discipline had left visible marks on his body and deep confusion in his heart.

Dubai Police shared the boy’s story as a reminder that help is always available. In line with the UAE’s Child Rights Law, known as the *Wadeema Law*, the General Department of Human Rights encourages anyone to report abuse quickly. Reports can be made confidentially through the police app, website, hotline (901), or by visiting the Child Oasis center at Al Twar police headquarters.

“The child was afraid to speak up,” Al Matrooshi said. “But the bruises on his body and the fear on his face spoke volumes.”

After receiving the report, the police called in the boy’s father. During questioning, the father admitted to hitting his son but said he never meant to cause harm. He explained that he was trying to make his son “strong”—the way he was raised himself, with tough discipline.

“He thought that being strict would prepare his son for life,” Al Matrooshi said. “But instead, it left the child feeling alone, afraid, and falling behind in school.”

The police explained to the father that his methods were harmful—and illegal. He was warned that such parenting is not only wrong but punishable by law. The father pledged to change, and the Child Protection team will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Al Matrooshi added that Dubai Police will provide the child with emotional support and counseling in partnership with social services.

“We are here to protect children, listen to them, and help families heal,” he said.