Father on trial for assaulting school bus driver

A father, whose three children were allegedly molested by their school's bus driver, is facing trial at Sharjah Court of First Instance on charges of physically abusing the driver, XPRESS has learnt.

The driver, an Arab man identified as S.A.M. working for a private school in Sharjah, was accused of molesting the siblings aged eight, nine and ten, for two years.

The incident took place on December 23, 2008 when the children, two girls and a boy, told their father, identified as Abu Abdullah, that the bus driver touched their private parts.

A neighbour told Abu Abdullah that her son complained that the driver molested him as well.

“I waited with my neighbour for the bus to drop our children; then my neighbour asked him to step out of the bus to talk to him.

“He yelled at me so I grabbed him but he pushed me and knocked me on the head. I fell unconscious, but he was faster to get a medical report while I didn't,'' said Abu Abdullah, who lives with his family in Ajman.

The school's Deputy Principal promised to take action against the driver after listening to bus-mates who confirmed that the driver sexually harassed them as well as their colleagues.

The father later learnt that the driver was shifted to another route in Sharjah, so he visited the school and insisted on filing a complaint at the police station if the driver is not fired.

“It's not about my children's safety alone but all the children's safety,'' he said.
He filed a complaint to Sharjah police and gave them the voice recording of the testimonies including the Deputy Principal's, who denied it later.

During the investigation, S.A.M was acquitted by police, as children's testimonies were not accepted because they are under age and parents of other children did not file similar complaints.

Police referred the case to prosecution, which accused the father of physical assault and referred the case to court. The court will issue its final ruling in the assault case in March 2, 2009.

Abu Abdullah said the driver is asking for financial compensation as well.
“I became the subject of accusation, while he has been molesting children for two years,'' he said.

Fawzia Hassan, Director of Sharjah Educational Zone, said she followed up the case with the police and ordered the suspension of the driver until final court order is issued.

She said she received the prosecution's decision of the driver's acquittal yet she ordered the school's administration to keep the driver away from having direct contact with students.

The school's principal, M.R., said that the school terminated the bus driver's services but gave no reasons for their decision and denied it's related to the case.