Ajman: The heartbroken father of a three-year-old boy who fell to his death from the balcony of a fourth floor apartment in Ajman on Sunday has appealed to parents not to leave their children unattended.
The three-year-old Arab boy, Baraa, slipped from the balcony of a residential building in Al Nuaimyah area in Ajman.
The child was playing alone while his mother slept with her newborn child, the police said.
Speaking to Gulf News on Monday, the boy’s father Osama Humoud, urged parents to close balcony doors and windows. “There are no words to express my grief, but this is Almighty’s will and we accept it. His soul will be in paradise,” he said.
The boy’s funeral prayer was held at Shaikh Zayed mosque on Monday after Asr prayer and the body was buried in Ajman cemetery.
Lieutenant-Colonel Gaith Al Kaabi, director-general of Al Nuaimyah Police Station, said the building’s watchman saw the boy lying motionless on the ground and alerted the police around 11.30am on Sunday.
When police and ambulance reached the building, the mother heard the siren and immediately began looking for her son. She found the balcony door open and started screaming when she saw her son lying motionless on the ground.
Police said the boy’s footprints were on the dust-covered balcony. Found near the child’s body was a black iPad, which his father said was old and had been kept on the balcony with other items. The boy was playing with it when the incident happened.
The boy was rushed to Khalifa Hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Meanwhile, Lt Col Al Kaabi also appealed to parents to ensure their children are always under supervision, urging them to be vigilant and to keep their windows and balcony doors closed.
“If investigation confirms negligence, the case would be referred to the court to ascertain whether or not the parents or guardians [are] to be blamed,” he said.
This is first incident in Ajman this year of a child falling to his death.
Lt Col Al Kaabi warned parents not to leave their children unattended.
“These kinds of tragic incidents have a painful impact on the families,” he said.
He urged residents to be vigilant and ensure they kept their windows and balconies stay closed.
He also cautioned against leaving furniture under windows or on the balcony.
In May, a 10-year-old Arab girl died after she fell the balcony of a fifth-floor flat in Al Jurf area of Ajman. In this case too, the girl was alone at home as her family had gone out shopping.
What the law says
Endangering the life of a child under 15 can invite a penalty ranging from one month to two years’ imprisonment. The penalty increases to three years if the child is left unattended.
“Article 349 of the [UAE] Federal Penal Code stipulates: ‘Whoever, by himself or by means of others, endangers a juvenile under fifteen 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.’
