Woman untraceable after abandoning two children in Dubai

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Woman untraceable after abandoning two children in Dubai

Dubai - The police's human rights department has stepped up efforts to locate her.

by

Amira Agarib

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Published: Mon 23 Jul 2018, 11:44 PM

Last updated: Tue 24 Jul 2018, 8:43 AM

Unable to deal with the trauma of her second divorce, an Australian mother abandoned her two children with a friend in Dubai before disappearing. For five months, the Australian Consulate in Dubai and her friend tried to convince her to take her children aged 14 and 4 back, but she failed to despite saying she would.
Now, the Australian woman of African origin has switched off her phone and is untraceable.
The police's human rights department has stepped up efforts to locate her. The department is trying to reach her family and has issued a circular about the case at all ports of the country.
A top officer said the case came to light after her African friend approached the Australian Consulate in Dubai with a request for assistance in tracing the mother. He said he had no problem in taking care of the children, but they "needed their mother badly".
Lt. Col. Saeed Al Hali, director of the human rights department's women and children protection section, said the case was referred to his department after the mother failed to respond to communication from the consulate.
The consulate had offered to help her obtain an Australian passport for her younger son - as he had a passport of his father's nationality - so they could all return to Australia. Officials had also told her that they would offer her financial assistance.
Rawdaq Al Razzouqi, head of the women and children protection section, said neither the friend nor the consulate knew her address even though she was still in the country. She responded to a phone call from the police, when she promised to go to the department to resolve the issue. However, she failed to and is now untraceable.
Al Razzouqi said it was difficult to shelter the two siblings together at the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children as the elder son was over 12 years old.
"Separating them also is difficult as they share a great bond," the officer added.
Lt. Col. Al Hali said the case falls under the criteria of child negligence, which is a punishable offence in the UAE.
amira@khaleejtimes.com


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