Abu Dhabi Police balcony message
The UAE Ministry of Interior is going all out to educate parents on the need for constant vigil and adherence to child safety measures at home. Image Credit: Screengrab

ABU DHABI: The Ministry of Interior, through the Centre for Child Protection, has launched a national campaign to protect children from balcony accidents under the slogan ‘The lives of our children are a trust’.

The campaign aims to raise awareness in the community about the importance of continuous monitoring and adherence to necessary measures to protect children from falling from open windows.

The campaign will provide educational tips and instructions on how to prevent accidents involving children falling from windows and balconies. It will also activate an integrated smart system in cooperation with strategic partners to spread awareness through various social media channels.

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What the UAE law says
Article 349 of the UAE Federal Penal Code stipulates that whoever, by himself or by means of others, endangers a juvenile under 15 years of age, or a person unable to protect himself due to his health, mental or psychological condition, shall be punished by detention for a period not exceeding two years. The penalty increases to three years if the child is left unattended at the time of an incident.

To achieve its goals, the campaign will include expanded media awareness in several languages and hold discussion sessions and specialised workshops with specialists in the field.

It will also provide publications and videos for awareness that reflect the concept and importance of the campaign.

The campaign will introduce the public to various means of communication to report child accidents, including the smart system for reporting provided by the Ministry of Interior, the hotline on the number 116111, and electronic reporting through the website of the Ministry of Interior Center for Child Protection (www.moi-cpc.gov.ae), email 116111@moi.gov.ae, and the Hemayati app for smart devices.

The Ministry of Interior Centre for Child Protection is responsible for developing, implementing and coding initiatives and procedures aimed at providing safety, security and protection for all children living in the UAE or visiting with their families.