Father granted visitation despite conviction

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A father convicted of insulting and defaming his own children has been granted weekly overnight access, following a ruling by a Sharia Court.

The judgment permits him to see his four children from Thursday evening until Saturday evening each week.

He will also be allowed visits on the first day of Eid Al Fitr and Eid Al Adha, during the school spring break for seven days, the summer holiday for a fortnight, and on certain religious and national dates.

Periods

Overnight stays are included in most of these periods.

Handover will take place either at the mother’s home or the nearest social centre, depending on the day.

The mother objected. She told the court the children were reluctant to visit their father’s home, where he lives with his wife, sister, nephew and the nephew’s wife.

She referred to his 2022 criminal conviction for verbal abuse and defamation, and said he rarely saw the children.

Complaint

A complaint had also been filed against her, she said, for bringing the children to him.

The father, through his lawyer Jassim Al Essa, submitted a copy of the divorce certificate and the children’s identity cards. The court noted that he was the legal guardian and, by law, entitled to contact unless there were sound reasons to prevent it. It found none.