Dubai recorded 11 child abuse cases in the second quarter of 2015 and they involved mostly physical violence and molestation, according to official data.
The bulk of the cases involved Emirati children under 18 and the parents emerged to be the main culprits, showed the figures by the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children.
The cases included four boys and seven girls and three of them were referred to the Foundation through police, three through hospitals and three through schools. The remaining two cases reported by relatives.
“Eight of the cases were handled involved Emiratis….the cases involved mainly physical violence and molestation…we found that the father was the main source of child abuse, followed by the mother,” said Afra Al Basti, the Foundation’s manager.
Quoted by Dubai-based Arabic language daily Emarat Alyoum, she urged the pubic to report child abuse cases to support the emirate’s efforts to tackle this problem.
“We appeal for those who want to report such cases to call us on our helpline 800111 or call the competent authorities as this will support our efforts to curb such practices.”