ABU DHABI 21 February 2020: The Abu Dhabi Early Childhood Authority (ECA), condemned a video that recently went viral on social media, showing a mother abusing her daughter.
The mother has been arrested.
It described the incident as an awful crime contravening the good moral values of the Emirati society.
“This behaviour runs contrary to foundations of social life, values and authentic traditions of the Emirati people,” said an ECA statement issued to Emirates News Agency, WAM, on Thursday.
The ECA gives top priority to the welfare of children and their care and development. Responsible for creating a high-quality early childhood development system in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, the ECA focuses on children’s health and nutrition, protection, family support, and early care and education.
The authority commended the speedy actions taken by the relevant authorities to arrest the accused mother and referring her to the Public Prosecution for necessary action. The authority also praised the police’s outstanding role in following up all issues, protecting the society, and preserving its security and stability.
Harmful Impact
The ECA warned against child abuse and mistreatment. Children’s exposure to violence, assault and negligence, especially during their early childhood from birth until the age of eight, negatively affects their physical, cognitive, language, social and emotional development, the authority pointed out.
Abuse causes a strain on the family and the overall community with regard to their rehabilitation and reintegration into society. Moreover, committing such acts against a child causes serious psychological problems for the child, their family and surroundings.
The ECA highlighted the efforts made by the UAE to resolve family disputes. These efforts include establishing specialised entities and institutions for protecting family, preserve rights of all parties, and reduce the impact of these disputes on the family members.
Those entities’ mission is to resolve family disputes, ensure they receive the necessary support and enjoy better living conditions, and help parties overcome their difficulties and obstacles.
The ECA was established in July under Law No. 21 of 2019, issued by the President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, in his capacity as the Ruler of Abu Dhabi.
