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Desk: Due to negligence of a mother in raising her child, a heavy fine has been imposed on her. A fine of 80,000 dirhams i.e. Rs 20 lakh has been imposed on a woman from Abu Dhabi. She left her very young daughter in the care of a nanny for 8 days and went abroad herself, that too when the child's father was present and ready to take care of her.

Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court found that due to the mother's negligence, the child's safety was endangered and the rules of 'joint custody' agreed between the parents were also violated. The mother appealed against the court's decision, but the appellate court rejected her challenge. Also kept both the fine and its amount intact.

However, this case does not prove that parents cannot leave children with a nanny. Instead, the Court's decision focused on the specific circumstances of this case. Especially that the other parent (father) who helps in taking care of the child was ignored. The girl was left in the care of a nanny during her 8-day foreign tour.

The child, whose parents are divorced and have joint custody, was left with a nanny when her mother went abroad. The father told the court that during the absence of the mother, he was available there and was ready to take care of the child himself.

The court also found that during the absence of the mother, the child was living in the same room with an adult man who was not even a member of the family. During these 8 days, the girl was also scratched by a cat and she had to start vaccination against rabies. The mother did not deny this incident.

During the hearing, the court did not consider neglect of the child merely for hiring a nanny. Instead, it looked at whether the mother's actions were consistent with the parents' joint custody rights and whether adequate care was taken for the child's safety.

Under Abu Dhabi Civil Family Law, joint custody gives both parents equal rights and responsibilities in relation to their child. Article 40 of Resolution No. 8 of 2022 allows the court to impose a financial penalty when a parent fails to comply with a joint custody arrangement or an order or measure issued by a judge. However, the amount of fine and the authority to decide it depends on the court.

In this case, the court found that the mother should have taken the help of the father instead of leaving the child with a nanny while going abroad. But due to the mother staying away from her daughter for 8 days, a fine of 80 thousand dirhams was imposed along with a fine of 10 thousand dirhams for every day.