US resident claimed wife threatened to attack him and kill their children, court hears

Abu Dhabi court dismisses husband's allegation that his wife was emotionally unstable

Abu Dhabi courts dismissed the case and rejected an appeal. Andrew Henderson / The National

A US resident's allegation that his wife assaulted him, threatened to kill their children and take her own life has been dismissed.

Abu Dhabi Personal Status Court heard the 36-year-old alleged his wife was emotionally unstable so he could divorce her and gain custody of their three children.

“She left us and returned to the US in April of 2018,” he told judges.

But the 32-year-old woman’s defence lawyer told the court these allegations were false.

“The husband’s testimony spoke of how the wife came in August 2019 to see her children, then again in December the same year,” Emirati lawyer Awatif Khouri of Al Rowaad Advocates, told the court.

Ms Khouri also told judges that the man had not presented medical reports to support his allegation.

"He also filed the case when my client was in the US and alleged he had no known address of her there."

However, the court was provided with documents showing how the man had sent packages to his wife’s address in the US.

The American couple’s children - aged five, three and two - were being cared for in Abu Dhabi by two nannies the wife had hired.

Abu Dhabi Personal Status Court dismissed the case in July after the man failed to submit proof of the claims.

He appealed and asked the court to refer his wife for a mental assessment.

This appeal was rejected last month and he must now pay all legal fees.

In the case, the husband had requested that UAE laws are implemented - a right granted by law to expatriate couples of the same nationality.