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Parents need to educate their children about the country’s law to avoid troubles or they will risk paying heavily for their children’s actions, a lawyer has said.
According to the UAE law, parents of minors (children below 18) can file lawsuits on behalf of their children, said Advocate Nasser Malalla Ghanem, from Nasser Malalla Advocates and Legal Consultants.
“The parents can also seek for compensation on behalf of their minor children from the parents of accused (minors) because they are their guardians and, therefore, responsible for paying civil compensation of fines on behalf of their children,” he said.
Recently, an Abu Dhabi civil court ordered two fathers, whose children took an indecent video of another child and shared it online, to pay Dh300,000 to the victim’s family in compensation for the damages. The Abu Dhabi Court of Cassation upheld earlier rulings by lower courts that which had obliged the parents of the accused boys (minors) to compensate the father of the victim, (also a minor) for the material and moral damages the family suffered after the circulation of his son’s indecent video clip. The child’s father had filed a civil lawsuit against the boys (defendants) in which he demanded that their parents pay him Dh600,000 in damages after they were found guilty of committing an indecent assault on his son’s honour.
In another incident in Ras Al Khaimah, an Asian woman was recently awarded Dh70,000 in damages after her son was assaulted and insulted by the son of an Arab man. The Ras Al Khaimah Civil Court said the father is the guardian of the assaulter, and hence has to pay the damages, along with court charges and lawyer fees. The woman had earlier lodged a complaint with the RAK Police against the son of the Arab man along with a medical report that showed the victim had sustained a fracture and deformity in his nose.
“It is important for parents to ensure that their children behave and treat other children well. Parents should also make sure that children know the law and abide it to avoid problems,” said Ghanem.
The lawyer added that parents are held responsible for the actions of those over 18 suffering from mental illnesses.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
Shashi Tharoor's World of Words is a weekly column dissecting English language
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