Abu Dhabi court orders Dh30,000 compensation for woman over secret filming

Abu Dhabi court orders Dh30,000 compensation for woman over secret filming
The Abu Dhabi Civil Family Court has ruled that a young man must pay Dh20,000 in compensation to a woman for filming her without consent, along with a Dh10,000 fine, Emarat Al Youm reports.

This decision confirms a previous criminal court ruling, which had found him guilty of violating the woman’s privacy and imposed a Dh10,000 penalty. In total, the man is required to pay Dh30,000 in fines and compensation.

According to court documents, the woman filed a civil claim citing reputational and emotional harm. Judges noted that the prior criminal conviction established his liability, which carried binding legal weight in the civil proceedings.

The court ruled that damages were warranted under civil law, which obliges those who cause harm to others to provide redress. It highlighted the psychological distress, loss of dignity, and reputational damage suffered by the woman, who said the incident left her stigmatized within her community.

In addition to compensation, the man was ordered to cover legal costs and fees.