Psychiatrist spread false news by accusing girls of consuming drugs

A Bahraini female psychiatrist, who stirred a countrywide controversy over the alleged drugs abuse and sexual activities at public girls’ schools, was yesterday accused by the Public Prosecution of defamation and spreading false news.

The psychiatrist made headlines and the topic became the most trending discussion online after she broadcast an interview with a seventh grader who was apparently expelled from Hamad Town Intermediate School for consuming and peddling prescription pills in school.

The doctor’s 50-minute recording included serious revelations, accusations, and claims of organized drug peddling and immoral activities among teenage girls in the school, alerting the highest authorities in the Kingdom to take action. This led to the formation of a high-level committee, as per the directives of the Prime Minister HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, to probe the claimed incident.

Several authorities also commented on the matter, including the Education Ministry, the Interior Ministry, the Public Prosecution and a number of MPs and legislators. In a press statement issued yesterday, Capital Governorate Chief Prosecutor Nawaf Al Awadhi confirmed that the Public Prosecution has completed its investigations into the case.

He said the investigations included looking into the complaints received by the people mentioned in the footage against the psychiatrist, interrogating the individuals heard speaking in the video including the psychiatrist and reviewing the results of the investigations launched into the alleged incident by the Education Ministry and the Interior Ministry.