An Australian father landed in Dubai Court after failing to report his son, who was accused of murder, to the relevant authorities.
According to public prosecutors, the man became aware of a murder allegedly committed by his son on October 6, 2022. Accused of killing his own friend, the incident has been referred to the Dubai Criminal Court.
On October 6, a female friend of his son who was unaware of the murder, arrived at the crime scene to check on the victim.
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She told prosecutors that she met the accused, who informed her that he had an argument with his friend, the victim, and asked her to visit the apartment and check on him.
When the woman arrived and entered the apartment at JBR Walk, she found the victim’s lifeless body and called the police at 11.52am to report the incident.
Investigations led to the arrest of the alleged murderer in Sharjah and further probe revealed that his father, despite knowing about the crime, did not report it to the authorities.
As per the investigation, the father was also aware that his other son, residing in Australia, had arranged for a hotel room in Sharjah and a flight ticket for the accused son.
During questioning, the father said he was called to the apartment unaware of the murder. He recounted how he arrived at the apartment and saw the victim’s body covered with sheets and the floor stained with blood.
Upon asking his son about the incident, the accused started acting bizarrely and tried to silence his father by gagging him.
The father has denied the charge of failing to report a crime to authorities and claimed he was in shock and terrified of his son, which prevented him from reporting the crime.
The court, referencing Article 323 of the Penal Code, acknowledges that failure to report a crime can be punished by 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.
Given the man’s relationship with the accused and his advanced age, the court exercised 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.