Strengthening child abuse investigation in law enforcement

Objectives: The Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre, United Arab Emirates (UAE), developed a federal child abuse investigation policy to unify the police investigatory response to allegations and suspicions of child... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives: The Ministry of Interior Child Protection Centre, United Arab Emirates (UAE), developed a federal child abuse investigation policy to unify the police investigatory response to allegations and suspicions of child abuse and neglect cases.

Method: In 2012 the need to have a clear and consistent investigative policing response to the issue of child abuse across all seven emirates of the UAE was felt. A federal policy on child abuse investigation was developed outlining a comprehensive model for receiving, responding and investigation of child abuse reports.
The policy addressed five key elements: initial police station/patrol response to allegations or reported suspicions of abuse or neglect; investigative and evidence gathering response by Criminal Investigation Department; role of Crime Scene Investigators in gathering evidence from scene, suspect and victim; role of Child Protection Officer in providing the child victim with support during the investigation, court case and overcoming the psychological effects of the alleged or suspected abuse; and reporting of the allegation/suspicion to the State Prosecutor.

Results: In 2014 the policy was successfully piloted in Abu Dhabi. An introductory child protection training for law enforcement officers was conducted. The training also addressed processes and procedures to be adopted as stipulated in the child abuse investigation policy. In 2015 several workshops were conducted with implementing stakeholders and based on the feedback received amendments were made to the policy. The revised policy was approved and will be implemented federally this year with capacity and capability built through intensive training and resource allocation.

Conclusions: The policy enabled the operational police to become clearer of their roles and responsibilities in relation to child abuse investigation. The policy implementation has facilitated removing any ambiguities in expected practice, ensuring high standards in service provision and has paved the way for formal agreements between policing entities and external organizations.