UAE: Over 120 child protection specialists granted legal powers to handle child abuse, neglect cases

More than 120 child protection specialists in Abu Dhabi have been made judicial officers and granted legal powers to handle cases involving child abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to violence, and to ensure the protection of the children’s rights.

Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Presidential Affairs and Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department (ADJD) has issued the decision granting the capacity of judicial officers to 127 child protection specialists in Abu Dhabi emirate and empowering them to ascertain any violation of the provisions of the Federal Law No. 3 of 2016 on Child Protection, as well as implementing its regulations and decisions.

The child protection specialists were recently sworn in as judicial officers before Counsellor Ali Mohammed Alblooshi, Attorney General of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, at the headquarters of the Judicial Department.

Counsellor Ali Alblooshi pointed out that granting the judicial officer capacity to a number of child protection specialists, enabling them to start performing the functions of ascertaining the offences and violations that fall within their competence, in accordance with the legal powers granted to them, strengthens the efforts to protect children and enforce the applicable law with the comprehensive and integrated rights it establishes. This is to ensure proper care of children and protect them from any risks that would hinder their proper education, he noted.

“The efforts made as part of the existing cooperation between the authorities sharing the same competence in this regard, guarantee the full rights of the child in accordance with the legislation and laws in force, in line with the directives of the wise leadership, to continue the work to provide all the necessary tools for the protection of children and to create an environment that stimulates their growth and development, while maintaining the cohesion and stability of the family,” said Alblooshi.

He explained that the qualification programme provided by the Abu Dhabi Judicial Academy (ADJA) for child protection specialists to obtain the capacity of judicial officer, aims to prepare child protection inspectors who are knowledgeable in all aspects of judicial and administrative control in accordance with applicable laws and regulations, providing them with the skills and expertise to implement legal procedures to take proactive measures towards the prevention of abuse, neglect, exploitation or exposure to violence, as well as the development of their skills to respond to the needs of children who have been victims of abuse or maltreatment.

Sana Suhail, Director-General of Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), affirmed the keenness of the ECA, in cooperation with its partners in Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, to prepare and qualify a number of workers in the health, education, security and social sectors in Abu Dhabi and the UAE, in the field of child protection and early detection of cases of child abuse, and to grant them the judicial officer capacity to strengthen the system of care, protection and support for children, in accordance with the best international standards and levels.

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Suhail also drew attention to the importance of the efforts made by the various authorities in Abu Dhabi to safeguard the rights of children and ensure their growth and prosperity in a safe, stable and supportive environment, in order to keep pace with the progress and development that the country will have to address over the next 50 years, and its importance in bringing about positive and sustainable change whose impact extends from generation to generation.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi