Sharjah: A man was fined by a court after he was arrested by Sharjah Police for torturing his eight-year-old son with a stick, an official said on Tuesday.
Authorities were alerted after the child’s uncle complained about the alleged torture by calling the Sharjah Child Helpline number 800-700, Ahmad Ebrahim Al Tartoor, Director of Protection of Children’s Rights Administration at Sharjah Social Services Department, told Gulf News.
He said the hotline received a call from an Arab man saying that his brother had been abusing his son.
The father used a stick to beat his son severely for not memorising the Quran. A team from the Child Protection Department took the child to the hospital where a medical report indicated that the boy had bruises and injuries as a result of sustained beatings.
The Arab man was arrested after the director of the child helpline informed the police.
A case was filed and Sharjah Public Prosecution gave permission to arrest the father.
Al Tartoor said that in a period of less than 24 hours, authorities managed to reach the home and arrested the man.
The father is not believed to be suffering from any psychological problems. He was referred to the public prosecution and then to a court which issued its verdict in the case. During the court appearance, the child cried in front of the judge and said: “Do not jail my father”.
The judge imposed a minimum penalty and ordered the man to give an undertaking not to mistreat his children again.
Al Tartoor said the child helpline has received 3,035 calls since its launch in 2007 until October this year.
In October alone, the helpline received 241 calls.
