Woman in Abu Dhabi ordered to pay Dh15,000 for damaging artwork

Abu Dhabi: A young woman in Abu Dhabi has been ordered to pay Dh15,000 in compensation after being found liable for damaging a handmade artwork owned by another woman.

The ruling was issued by the Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Cases Court, which held that the defendant’s actions caused both material and moral harm to the claimant

According to Emarat Al Youm, the claimant filed a civil lawsuit seeking Dh150,000 in compensation, citing financial damage, emotional distress, loss of opportunity and related losses.

She told the court that she owned a handcrafted artwork valued at Dh22,000, which was damaged by the defendant. A criminal complaint was later filed, resulting in a penal order being issued against the defendant.

The claimant argued that the incident caused her financial loss as well as emotional suffering, and submitted supporting documents, including police investigation records and the penal order. The defendant, meanwhile, filed a written defence requesting that the case be dismissed.

In its reasoning, the court said it was satisfied that the legal requirements for compensation had been met, namely proof of fault, damage and a causal link between them.

The judges found that the defendant was at fault for damaging the artwork and that the act directly caused material loss — the destruction of the item — as well as moral harm, including emotional pain and distress.

The court therefore ordered the defendant to pay Dh15,000 in compensation, in addition to court fees, legal expenses and lawyers’ fees.