According to the Ministry of Interior, the number of participants in its application for reporting cases of child abuse «Hamati», reached 20 thousand and 750 participants, have been able to benefit from the application services since its launch in January 2018.

The Ministry said, on the sidelines of the presentation of the third comprehensive human rights report at the United Nations in Geneva, recently, that «protect me» application for smartphones and tablets, available in the stores «Apple Store» and «Google Play», which gives users the ability to open Child abuse reports are kept easily confidential and the identity of victims and victims is kept confidential.

She pointed out that the application provides its users with an overview of laws and legislation related to child protection, and can be used from all segments of society, such as parents, teachers, doctors and children themselves.

She said that the employees of the application in the Ministry of the Interior receive and classify the reports, and take the necessary procedures, as a matter of urgency, which distinguishes the service of reporting through the application from other means.

She noted that the application «Hamayati» is one of the components of the smart system for child protection, which also includes the hotline for children's reports on the toll-free number 116111, and electronic reporting via the notification icon on the website of the Ministry of Interior Center for Child Protection, www.moi-cpc.gov.ae, Receive notifications via childprotection@moi-cpc.gov.ae.

The Ministry, represented by the Child Protection Center, called on the public from all segments of society to participate in the application and submit reports of child abuse as they happen, to contribute to enhancing the security of the community, preserving future generations, safeguarding their dignity, and deterring risks from them.

The Center warned that there are different types of abuse that may be experienced by the child, such as beatings, threats, sexual assault, physical abuse, neglect and bullying, as well as the technological risks sometimes faced during the use of the Internet and electronic games.

PCHR called on members of the public not to hesitate to report cases of child abuse, so that they can take the necessary action against those involved, in case there is a danger or harm to any child, stressing that reporting cases of abuse is an important step in preventing or stopping violations, and protection Children from further damage.

He stated that he had a high level of professionalism in dealing with communications, advising individuals on child abuse, neglect and abuse, and how to report any child protection cases, explaining that when the police receive a report concerning child abuse or neglect Or cases where the child is in danger, he or she takes a number of actions, including referring the communication to a specialist (child protection officer) in the administration of social support centers, to assess the seriousness of the situation, and to identify the necessary actions (criminal investigation or social support intervention).

He explained that, in some cases, it might be necessary for a child to undergo a full medical examination to determine whether he or she had been abused or assaulted by a specialist. If the child is found not to have been subjected to abuse, neglect or harm and is not at risk of ill-treatment, the case will be closed. If it is proven that he has been abused or neglected, or is at risk of ill-treatment or harm, the Social Support Center will deal with the situation (in addition to any criminal trial) to address the issue of the risks to the child in the family.

The Center emphasized that online child abuse is a crime in the UAE, pointing out that there are many risks that children can face while using the Internet, which may include luring, extortion, threats and harassment.

Such cases are criminal offenses and must be reported.

Rights amount

The Child Protection Center stated that cases of child abuse had rights, including anonymity, and ensuring that information about them was strictly confidential.

Notification shall also be deemed to be of assistance to the competent authorities and shall not be held liable if the communication is true of the incident and the information issued by it. In case of doubt over the amount of abuse, it shall be taken in good faith.

- Reporting abuse is an important step to protect children from harm.

- Harassment of the risks faced by children while using the Internet.

- The application of «protect me» one of the components of the smart child protection system.