The Domestic Violence Section of the Misdemeanor Court of First Instance convicted the woman of exploiting her children in repeated complaints against their father that negatively affected the minors’ mental health. The court determined that her actions constituted psychological abuse after reviewing evidence showing the father had not neglected or harmed the children. According to the ruling, the mother’s conduct involved psychological pressure and exaggeration that drew the children into the parental conflict despite their young age.
Investigations by the Criminal Investigation Department along with a report from the Child Protection Office provided the foundation for the conviction, as the Misdemeanor Court noted in its decision. The Child Protection Office confirmed the absence of abuse by the father while documenting the impact of the mother’s behavior on the children’s well-being. Despite the woman’s denial of the charges, the court found the combination of witness testimonies and official findings sufficient to establish the offense.
Kuwait’s Law No. 21 of 2015 on the Protection of Children’s Rights, which sets penalties for psychological abuse at up to one year in prison or a fine not exceeding KD 2,000, guided the court’s imposition of the maximum financial penalty in this instance. The legislation explicitly defines such abuse as including intimidation, humiliation or imposing excessive burdens that damage a child’s emotional or social development. A UNICEF assessment of child welfare trends in the Gulf highlighted that 12 to 28 percent of high school students in Kuwait reported experiencing psychological abuse from a parent.
In addition to the criminal fine, the Misdemeanor Court referred the matter to the competent civil court to evaluate compensation for the psychological and moral harm suffered by the father and the two children. Lawyer Abdulmohsen Al-Qattan, who represented the father, had sought temporary compensation during the proceedings before the Domestic Violence Section. This dual-track approach under Kuwaiti law separates the punitive measure from potential civil remedies for the affected family members.
Under the Personal Status Law No. 51 of 1984 that governs family matters for the Sunni majority in Kuwait, courts must prioritize the best interests of the child in custody arrangements, where mothers often retain physical care of young boys until puberty and girls until marriage. The ruling stopped short of directly revoking any existing custody but emphasized how involving children in disputes can render a parent unfit. Public Authority for Civil Information data places Kuwait’s expatriate population at roughly 3.3 million, a demographic reality that has led family courts to handle an increasing volume of cross-cultural custody cases in recent years.
The decision reflects ongoing enforcement of child safeguards that evolved from the 2014 decree establishing the Child Protection Office through updates in the 2020 domestic violence law and subsequent refinements. These measures stress cooperative parenting focused on minors’ health, education and behavior even after separation or divorce. Legal precedents show family courts have grown more attentive to psychological elements when assessing parental fitness in custody-related proceedings.
