Dubai: As part of its continuous efforts towards preserving children’s rights, Dubai Police has recently resolved a case filed by a 17-year-old boy and his mother who sought the force’s assistance in persuading the father not to force his son into studying a specific specialisation in college.
The Child and Women Protection Department at Dubai Police advocated the child’s case and invoked Article 12 of the Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 concerning the child’s rights (known as Wadeema’s Law) and granted the boy his right to express his opinion freely.
What the law says
Major Dr Ali Mohammad Al Matroushi, Director of the Child and Women Protection at the General Department of Human Rights, said the law states that every child shall have the right to express his or her opinion freely according to his or her age and maturity, commensurate with the public order and morals and with the laws in force in the UAE. It also ensures that every child gets the opportunity to express his or her opinion concerning the decisions taken in his or her regard, within the limits of the law.
Special attention
“Dubai Police pays special attention to each case reported to the Child and Women Protection Department. We make sure that this kind of family disagreements are amicably resolved as we value and prioritise family bonds and children’s interests above all. We don’t take any legal actions as long as the cases are settled by persuasion and open-minded discussions between the parties,” Al Matroushi added.
What had happened
Meanwhile, Maitha Mohammad Al Balushi, Head of Child Protection Section at the Women and Children Protection Department, said the boy had approached the department alongside his mother and was concerned by his father’s expectations to follow his steps by studying and working in the same field.
“The father was disappointed that his son’s grades did not qualify him to enrol into the same college as his. He tried to force the boy into retaking high school exams to score higher grades. The son was proud of his father’s success in his job, but could not, despite his effort, fulfil the father’s wishes,” Al Balushi added.
Amicably resolved
“We contacted the father and urged him to respect his son’s right to express opinions on matters that concerned him. We also encouraged the boy to respect and always consider his father’s feelings and opinions when making life-changing decisions,” she said.
The father agreed to leave the matter in his son’s hands, and the disagreement was resolved without infringement of the child’s rights.
