Verdict due in child abuse case at rehabilitation centre

TDT | Manama

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A criminal court will rule on 31 July in the case of an Arab man accused of abusing several children with disabilities at a rehabilitation centre, following claims he physically and psychologically mistreated them.

The Minor Criminal Court set the date after hearing closing arguments from the defence, which called for an acquittal.

The case began with a complaint from the Ministry of Social Development after a routine inspection by judicial staff.

Severe disabilities

The accused was employed at a facility responsible for the care of children with severe disabilities.

Prosecutors reviewed surveillance footage, interviewed the centre’s director and the reporting inspector, and questioned the accused before referring the case to court.

During the latest hearing, defence lawyer Abeer Abdulrahman argued that the case lacked a proper legal foundation.

Reform justice

She referred to Article 40 of Bahrain’s 2021 law on reform justice and child protection, which outlines the specific acts that constitute abuse. None of those, she claimed, applied to her client.

The lawyer also challenged the complaint itself, saying it was filed by someone who lacked the required legal standing.

She said the surveillance clips, each no longer than five to twenty seconds, were recorded without proper understanding of the children’s conditions.

Investigation

A defence witness had been interviewed during the investigation and denied that any abuse had occurred.

Abdulrahman described the defendant’s actions as physical assistance rather than mistreatment.

Given the seriousness of the children’s conditions, she argued, his conduct fell within the bounds of his job and did not amount to misconduct.