Kuwait Court Pulls Custody from Mom For Advertising Kids on Social Media

KUWAIT CITY, Aug 4: The Court of Appeals, presided over by Judge Dr. Khaled Al-Mandeel, revoked the custody of two children from their mother and granted custody to their father. The decision was issued after the court determined that the mother neglected her duties to take care of her children, and even used the children in advertisements on social media platforms, which negatively affected their academic performance. Attorney Houra Al-Habib, Director of the Child Center at the Kuwaiti Lawyers Association, stated that the ruling is based on the principle of considering the best interest of the children and affirms that custody is a legal responsibility. She asserted that using children in advertisements or commercial content, if it affects their education or healthy development, warrants judicial intervention to protect them and their rights. In its reasoning, the court affirmed that custody neither terminates parental authority nor negates the educational role of the father, stressing that good upbringing is made possible through cooperation between the custodian and the guardian to achieve the best interests of the children. It added that Child Rights Law No. 21/2015 guarantees the protection of the child from neglect and exploitation, and that the mere appearance of the child in an advertisement is not considered commercial exploitation in itself, but the intensity of advertising activity, along with a clear decline in academic performance and the absence of family supervision, are evidence of breach of custody duties.

By Jaber Al-Hamoud Al-Seyassah/Arab Times Staff