UAE: Woman made to undergo psychological exam; receives Dh50,000 payout

Abu Dhabi - The victim said her sister was making false allegations against her because she wanted to take control of her finances.

A young woman in Abu Dhabi who filed a court order demanding the psychological examination of her older sister, claiming that she suffered from a mental illness and had tried to commit suicide, has been ordered to pay her Dh50,000 in damages.

The victim said her sister was making false allegations against her because she wanted to take control of her finances.

Official court documents stated that the victim had filed a lawsuit against her younger sister demanding Dh200,000 in compensation for the damages she caused her when she claimed that she was suffering from mental illness and was not aware of her actions. She said she is the defendant’s elder sister and had raised her from childhood using her own money.

The plaintiff said that her sister had filed a psychological examination case against her, claiming that she was mentally ill and was trying to commit suicide. She said her sister had obtained a decision from the judge of urgent matters to take her to the hospital for examination with the aim to seize control of her money.

She explained that after her discharge from the hospital, she complained about the decision by the judge of urgent matters, which was upheld but later cancelled on appeal.

The complainant said the defendant’s ill intentions made her suffer material and moral damages in addition to being undermined in society and wasting her time.

The Abu Dhabi Court of First Instance had earlier dismissed the case and ordered the plaintiff to pay the legal expenses.

The woman challenged the verdict at the Abu Dhabi Court of Appeal, stressing that there was unfairness, and her case was not given due consideration.

She said in the appeal court that the evidence her younger sister presented, stating that she had accompanied her abroad for mental treatment, and which the first judgment was based on, was false. She said the treatment was, in fact, for an eye illness and not a psychological illness as her sister had claimed. The complainant also presented medical documents to support her statements.

After hearing from both parties and looking into their evidence, the appeals court judge cancelled the first ruling by the lower court and ordered the defendant to pay her elder sister Dh50,000 in compensation for the damages. She was also told to pay for her legal expenses.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com

• Abu Dhabi