Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi Family, Civil and Administrative Court has ordered a woman to pay AED5,000 in compensation to a young man for material and moral damages resulting from verbal abuse and threats made through WhatsApp.
The civil ruling follows an earlier criminal judgment in which the woman was fined AED10,000 for the offence. The criminal court also ordered the cancellation of her phone number and WhatsApp account and imposed a three-month ban on internet use.
According to court records, the claimant filed a lawsuit seeking AED20,000 in compensation, in addition to legal interest, court fees and expenses, stating that he had suffered harm as a result of the verbal abuse and threats.
The claimant submitted a copy of the criminal judgment as evidence in support of his claim. The defendant did not attend the proceedings.
In its ruling, the court stated that the criminal judgment is binding in the civil case with regard to the occurrence of the act, its legal characterisation and its attribution to the defendant.
The court noted that the criminal judgment had established that the defendant committed the offence of verbally abusing and threatening the claimant using an information technology application.
Regarding the compensation claim, the court found that fault had been established against the defendant based on the binding criminal judgment.
It also found that the claimant had suffered material damage through the costs associated with filing reports with the police and the Public Prosecution, in addition to moral damage represented by feelings of sadness and distress.
Accordingly, the court ordered the defendant to pay AED5,000 in material and moral compensation and to bear the fees and expenses of the lawsuit.