UAE: Sharjah court convicts school staff in death of 8-year-old Indian student Rashid Habib

A Sharjah court has convicted two school staff members of negligence in the death of eight-year-old Indian student Rashid Habib, more than a year after he tragically died following a fall at his school in Muwaileh.The Sharjah Federal Court of Appeal overturned an earlier acquittal by a lower court and ordered the defendants to pay Dh200,000 in legal blood money to the boy’s family. Additionally, each staff member was fined Dh2,000.The court found that the two staffers had failed in their duty to escort and monitor students from the school bus to their classrooms. CCTV footage reviewed during the investigation showed that Rashid was left unaccompanied at the time of the incident. The Grade 1 student collapsed while walking alone to his classroom on 11 March 2024, the first day of Ramadan, shortly after arriving at the CBSE-curriculum school.He was rushed to Al Qassimi Hospital in a state of cardiac arrest but was declared dead despite resuscitation attempts.A forensic report from Sharjah Police stated that Rashid had sustained a bruise on his face, a fractured cheekbone, internal bleeding under the scalp, and severe brain injuries, including swelling and bleeding.

Surveillance footage confirmed that no school staff were present with the children during the incident. The footage also showed that another child had attempted to hit Rashid moments before he fell. However, the crucial seconds capturing the exact moment of the fall were missing.The appeal court ruled that the staff’s absence amounted to gross negligence, emphasising that the accident could likely have been prevented had the staff been present.Rashid’s father, Habib Yasar, told Khaleej Times: “Not a day goes by when we don’t remember Rashid. Our lives have never been the same. We keep thinking of what could have been if someone had just been there to watch over him. Why was there no CCTV camera? A school is supposed to be like a second home, but it didn’t take care of my child. This conviction brings some closure, but the pain remains. We lost a part of ourselves that day.

”The family had previously claimed Rashid was bullied and attacked during the missing seconds, a charge the school denied.Due to ongoing legal and administrative proceedings, the name of the school involved is being withheld.