An Australian father faced the Dubai Court for not reporting his son, accused of murder, to the authorities. Public prosecutors stated that the man knew about a murder allegedly carried out by his son on October 6, 2022. The son is accused of killing his friend, and the case has been transferred to the Dubai Criminal Court.
On October 6, a female friend of the son, unaware of the murder, went to the crime scene to check on the victim. She informed prosecutors that she met the accused, who told her about an argument with his friend, the victim, and asked her to visit the apartment and see if he was okay. Upon arriving at JBR Walk and entering the apartment, she discovered the victim's lifeless body and reported the incident to the police at 11.52am.
Investigations resulted in the arrest of the alleged murderer in Sharjah. Further investigation revealed that the father, despite knowing about the crime, did not report it to the authorities. The father also knew that his other son in Australia had arranged a hotel room in Sharjah and a flight ticket for the accused son.
During questioning, the father stated he arrived at the apartment unaware of the murder. He described finding the victim's body covered with sheets and the floor stained with blood. When he asked his son about the incident, the accused behaved strangely and tried to silence his father.
The father denied the charge of failing to report a crime and claimed he was in shock and terrified of his son, preventing him from reporting the crime. The court, referring to Article 323 of the Penal Code, acknowledged that failure to report a crime can result in imprisonment for up to one year or a fine. However, the law allows for leniency if the person who failed to report the crime is a close relative of the perpetrator.
Considering the man's relationship with the accused and his advanced age, the court used its discretionary power under Article 323 to exempt him from punishment. The court concluded that while the man had legal knowledge of the crime and did not report it, his status as the father of the accused and his advanced age justified the application of leniency.
