The Man City manager praises the club's medical department and reveals that there are no worries on the injury front ahead of Saturday's Fulham encounter
sports2 hours ago
One early morning in October 2015, to console one crying child, a couple unconsciously and never ever imagining the horror their action would have on the family for lifelong, left their six-year-old daughter unattended at home for some minutes.
Probably it was the biggest mistake the couple ever made since it cost them the life of their daughter who died instantly after toppling over through an open window while looking for her parents who had gone to drop another child off to the bus stop.
"We made the mistake of leaving our daughter alone," father of six-year-old N.H. who died after falling from the 15th floor of a building in Sharjah's Al Tawun area, told Khaleej Times.
The police said that the girl had landed in the balcony of an apartment on the first floor of the building and died on the spot.
N.H. is among the hundreds of children who have died after falling from high-rise buildings across the country in the past years.
The tragedies have left an indelible mark on the affected families and the society as a whole.
Despite efforts taken by authorities to prevent such incidents, such accidents continue to happen, the latest being in November 2016 when a two-year-old died after falling from the fourth floor of a building in Sharjah, just a few months after Child Protection Law - known as Wadeema Law - came into effect in June 2016. Article No 35 of the law penalises parents whose children die after falling off high-rises or any other kind of child abuse, according to an official at the Child Protection Department at the Ministry of Social Development. However, no such case has come to the front as of yet.
The law also penalises neglecting parents with imprisonment and hefty fines. Article No 60 of law stipulates fines of Dh5,000 and a jail term of not less than a year for parents who neglect children.
The official also warned parents not to leave children unattended at home and not to depend solely on housemaids.
According to statistics, the number of children falling from high-rise buildings is on the rise. The year 2015 witnessed seven fatal child falls as compared to six fatalities from falls in 2014 and four in 2013.
The official added that parents' negligence could indirectly cause various kinds of harm to children.
In case of repeated negligence and if the child is found to be exposed to abuse frequently which threatens his/her life, the department will interfere and take away the child from the parents temporarily to send him/her to a foster family or social establishment to ensure safety.
Besides the law, municipalities have also tightened their codes and revised regulations for buildings, ensuring more safety options.
KNOW THE LAWAccording to Article 35 of the Child Protection Law - also known as Wadeema Law - parents whose children die after falling off high-rises or face any other kind of child abuse will be penalised.The law also penalises neglecting parents with imprisonment and hefty fines. Article No 60 of law stipulates fines of Dh5,000 and a jail term of not less than a year for parents who neglect children. Safety steps to prevent child falls from windows > Move furniture away from windows and balconies. A bed, couch or other furniture allows a child to get higher and closer to a window. > Only open the windows that are outside of a child's reach or climbing distance. Open double-hung windows from the top. A child can fall from a window opened as little as five inches. > Window screens will not keep your child from falling. If you must open a window within a child's reach or climbing distance, instal an operable window guard. Window guards have horizontal bars no more than four inches apart that screw into the side of a window frame. They are available in different sizes. > Monitor window safety at your child care location and anywhere children visit. |
The Man City manager praises the club's medical department and reveals that there are no worries on the injury front ahead of Saturday's Fulham encounter
sports2 hours ago
Antonio Guterres warns that the situation in the southern Gaza city is "on a knife's edge"
mena2 hours ago
Ministry of Interior data also showed Abu Dhabi topped the list of fatalities, while Dubai topped the most number of injuries in 2023
uae2 hours ago
On Thursday, the leagues and unions had called on FIFA to reschedule the 32-team Club World Cup
football3 hours ago
Country's northeast – the agricultural heartland – saw the highest number of deaths
world3 hours ago
Ceasefire talks also broke up on Thursday with no agreement to halt the fighting and release hostages captured in the Hamas-led October 7 attacks
mena3 hours ago
Liya Rafeeq has also won a full scholarship from her dream university, New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD)
uae3 hours ago
Storms and floods battering the South American country's southernmost state, have also left more than 337,000 displaced
world3 hours ago