The Abu Dhabi Civil, Family and Administrative Court has ordered a woman to pay Dh20,000 in compensation after filing a malicious false report accusing another woman of taking and publishing photographs without her consent.
The court ruled that the accusation was made in bad faith, noting that the defendant knew there had been no privacy violation.
It found that the photographs were taken during a public sporting event organized by an official committee, with the claimant’s knowledge and consent, and that she appeared in the images, giving her the legal right to retain and publish them.
The plaintiff had sought Dh30,000 in material and moral damages, citing detention at a police station, payment of bail and legal costs, and reputational and psychological harm caused by the false complaint.
The court emphasized that a prior criminal judgment clearing the claimant due to lack of evidence and citing malicious intent was binding in related civil matters. It found a direct link between the false report and the harm suffered, ordering the defendant to cover compensation, legal costs, and lawyers’ fees.
