Police officer's family--not mom--to take custody of boy "allegedly" tortured by custodial dad, steps (Ajman, United Arab Emirates)

As I always say, if you want to know what a "fathers rights" future holds, look no further than the present Middle East. The mother of this 9-year-old boy was from Sri Lanka. But the daddy--identified here only as S.A--"divorced" her and sent her back to her "home country." Obviously, without her child. Daddy and his two wives then proceeded to mistreat (torture) the child that he kept from going with his mother. And even now, notice that there isn't one damn word about letting the mother reclaim custody. Nope, this little boy is going to the home of "uncle policeman" instead. Disgusting.

If His Highness Shaikh Humaid really took violence against children seriously, he'd start to look at how near mandatory father custody and the overall lack of rights for women and mothers feeds into violence against children.

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/police-officer-s-family-takes-custody-of-tortured-boy-1.710571

Police officer's family takes custody of tortured boy
Father and two stepmothers being questioned for child abuse

By Bassma Al Jandaly, Senior Reporter Published: 00:00 November 11, 2010

Ajman: Police say they are questioning the father and two stepmothers of a boy who has been tortured, police said yesterday.

As Gulf News reported on Monday, an Emirati father, identified as S.A, and his two wives, have been accused of repeatedly beating the father's seven-year-old son.

The boy, who attends an Ajman government school, had allegedly been coming to school each day with severe bruises, black eyes and marks indicating that he had been hit on the head, back, hands, face and other parts of his body.

Surveillance

S.A., the father of the boy, is a supervisor at the Ministry of Education. He told police he had two wives and 22 children living in a two-room house in Al Zahra, near Al Humaidiya, in Ajman, said Brigadier Ali Abdullah Alwan, Ajman Police Chief.

Brig Alwan said the father had been placed under 24-hour surveillance. The boy has been placed in the custody of a senior Ajman police official's family.

The police chief said S.A. told them he was married to an Emirati woman and a Pakistani woman who live with him in the same house.

The boy had been born to a Sri Lankan woman whom the father divorced and sent back to her home country, leaving her baby with two stepmothers, Alwan said.

Police allege that the boy has been severely and repeatedly beaten by his father, stepmothers and all the other brothers and sisters.

The father told police there were 25 people living in two rooms and his children had no bed to sleep in.

Another official at Ajman police told Gulf News the boy had been under their care for the past few days. Police said the little boy was starving and weak so they took him into care.

"He was so hungry and when we offered him food he ate ten sandwiches, four packets of chips, three cans of Pepsi and one big chocolate ... I cannot hold my tears when I saw the boy hungry and starving in this way," the official said. The official said the boy was cute and polite.

Well-mannered

"When we brought the little boy to the Rulers' office, he [the boy] approached each and everyone in the hall and he shook hands with them all, including the Ruler," the official said.

The official said the boy's injuries included two holes in his forehead.

"They are keeping his hair long so they will cover the holes in his forehead so no one will notice," the official claimed.

Teachers at the school where the boy is in grade one said the boy had been coming to school with severe bruises and marks on his body.

‘Uncle policeman'

"He is always hungry and he used to approach the teachers asking for food," one of the teachers at the school said.

The teacher said the school management informed the educational zone in Ajman about the little boy's case, so that action could be taken that would protect the young child.

Police said the boy told police that he wanted to stay with the "uncle policeman".

Humaid takes a stand

His Highness Shaikh Humaid Bin Rashid Al Nuaimi, Supreme Council Member and Ruler of Ajman, has ordered for the boy to be adopted, Brigadier Ali Abdullah Alwan, Ajman police chief, said.

Shaikh Humaid also ordered that the boy be given all necessary care, attention and good treatment. He also ordered that a full report and study about the boy's family be carried out, to help find a solution for this poor family, said the Ajman police chief.

According to Brig Alwan, Shaikh Humaid said security for children was an essential element in UAE culture and what had happened to the boy was unacceptable.

Shaikh Humaid condemned any kind or form of violence against children. He also called on members of the public to take a stand against child abuse.