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Dubai Police Plays Good Samaritan

DUBAI - The Victim Care Programme initiated by the Dubai Police assisted as many as 9,320 women in October and November of 2009, said Lt-Col Jamal Al Jalaf, Director of General Department of Crime Control of the Dubai Police.

The programme was introduced in 2004 as per the instructions of Lt-General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim, Commander-in-chief of Dubai Police. Lt-Col Al Jalaf said the victims’ complaints had been received at the care sections at various police stations or through the hotline.

He recounted several cases where police had come to the aid of women in distress. Talking of the case of an old woman in poor health, who used to roam around in Qusais, he said the care official took her to a hospital and called up her sons, who said that they had reported her to the police.

The programme also tackled the case of an Indian woman who called up from India to complain about the abuse being faced by her sister and her daughter at the hands of her brother-in-law. Police contacted the woman, who lives in Dubai, and confirmed the complaint reported by the victim’s sister. They solved the problem by making the husband undertake not to abuse his wife 
or daughter.

“The programme is following up such cases and writing reports after making periodic checks to ensure that the victims are not subjected to further abuse,” Lt-Col Al Jalaf added.

The Victim Care Programme even helped arrest a man who stabbed an Iranian woman in the back before making off with her bag, within 48 hours of committing the crime. The Victim Care Programme official took the woman to the hospital and stayed with her till she was cured. She also underwent psychological rehabilitation, to help her deal with the shock of the attack.

The police also protected an Asian woman from being sexually exploited by her sponsor, who brought her to work as a housemaid. The young woman was stunned when her sponsor asked her to work as a prostitute. When she refused, he threatened her. She then informed the Victim Care Programme about his threats. The police called the security officials who set a trap and arrested the suspect and two others who were found to be exploiting women.

A young girl at the Dubai Foundation for Women and Children who was subjected to human trafficking was saved by legal action and sent back home after the police officials intervened last year.

Lt-Col Jalaf said the police also had to handle matters in a diplomatic way in some cases. He narrated how they saved the marriage of an Asian woman after her ex-fiance threatened to show their intimate photos, taken before their relationship ended, to her husband. The police got involved and the man returned the photos to the woman.

Lt-Col Al Jalaf said the initiative saw a Filipina return to her work after being terminated by her employer. She called the programme officials after she was terminated and when the police intervened, the employer was convinced by the care officials about the Filipina’s health condition.

Speaking to Khaleej Times on the phone she said, “I did not imagine that I would be returned to my work after I have tried all means and failed, thanks to Dubai Police.”

amira@khaleejtimes.com

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