Minor Civil Court awards BD1,000 after teacher’s sexual assault conviction

TDT | Manama

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 A court ordered BD 1,000 in compensation to a minor and his guardian after evidence of a teacher’s conviction for sexually harassing the child established fault in the civil claim.

The Minor Civil Court issued the ruling in public and required the defendant to pay BD100 in lawyers’ fees and all legal costs.

The father filed the claim on his son’s behalf and was represented by lawyer Zainab Ali Madan. The civil award followed the teacher’s conviction for an assault on school grounds.

On appeal, the sentence was reduced from three years’ imprisonment to one year. A court certificate recorded no cassation, so the criminal judgment became final.

Facts

Relying on Article 158 of the Civil Code and the binding force of final criminal judgments under Article 309 of the Criminal Procedure Law, the court said it could not reopen facts settled in the criminal case.

Those findings established the fault element for this lawsuit.

The court found the child suffered material and moral harm due to the touching of sensitive areas and the resulting panic and fear.

Citing Article 161(a) on loss and loss of profit and Article 162 on moral harm, the judge assessed BD1,000 as just compensation.

Inquiry

A medical committee report found no permanent impairment, so the request to refer the case for further inquiry was refused.

The defendant did not attend the civil hearings despite service at his place of detention.

He was ordered to pay BD100 towards lawyers’ fees and to bear all legal costs.