Suspended jail sentence for mother of toddler

A judge has ruled the death of a toddler who fell from a fifth-storey balcony was the result of her mother’s negligence.

The judge, at Abu Dhabi Court of Misdemeanour, issued the verdict and handed the Egyptian mother a one-month suspended prison sentence after finding her guilty of endangerment.

The girl’s father was cleared of the same charge.

The judge said the mother neglected her duty of care for the child after hearing she repeatedly left Maryam, aged three, in the apartment on her own. Prosecutors said that leaving her unattended resulted in the girl falling to her death from the building in January.

The toddler died after climbing over the railing of the family’s flat. Her parents were not at home at the time of the incident, but it is believed the girl’s aunt was in the flat, asleep.

The case was even more disturbing as police revealed they rescued Maryam only weeks earlier when she was seen dangling from the kitchen window. Police broke down the front door and found her alone in the apartment.

Abu Dhabi’s Department of Municipal Affairs has now introduced a rule that balconies must be at least 1.5m in height and screen doors must be fitted with devices that stop them opening wider than 10cm.

Neighbours at the tower yesterday told 7DAYS the parents returned to Egypt following Maryam’s death.

ismail@7days.ae