Khaleej Times

Man, 63, accused of raping daughter’s school-mate

- Marie Nammour mary@khaleejtim­es.com

dubai — A 63-year-old constructi­on consultant is standing trial in the Court of First Instance on the charges of raping a 17-year-old school girl while she was in his villa to attend his step-daughter’s birthday.

The British man S.B. is also accused of molesting the teenager, also from the UK, in his villa at the Village Project. The incident allegedly happened on November 27 last year and was reported to Al Barsha police.

The British student said in the investigat­ion that she came to the birthday party S.B. was having for his step-daughter at around 6.30 pm. “There were around 20 other students. After about two hours, I lost my mobile phone and began to cry over it. As I was looking for it, S.B. came and groped me several times in front of the guests. He said I was pretty and wished he was 20 years old.” He kept following and

I don’t think she made it up because she and S.B.’s daughter are very close friends

Deputy principal of school

harassing her, but she was busy looking for her phone.

She added that he followed her to the garden and hugged her. “His wife then spotted him and told him she wanted a divorce.”

Later in the evening, she went to bring water from the kitchen when S.B. asked the student to lay beside him on the couch in the living room.

She spent the night in the guest’s room upstairs and she did not lock the door. “Around 7am, I woke up when I felt someone touching me. It was S.B. who told me to keep quiet. He said it had been some time since he desired me and wanted to have sex with me.”

The defendant did not care about her crying and raped her, she said in the investigat­ion.

Around 10am, S.B. asked the girl why she was still in the house and asked her to leave in a cab. She was picked up later by her mother.

The student confided in an Indian schoolmate about the matter and the latter told the social worker at school. The mother was then called and informed about the incident. She then complained to the police.

Other students confirmed having seen S.B. stalking, harassing and groping the victim.

The school’s deputy principal, a British, described the victim as being very sad and depressed as she recounted the details. “I don’t think she made it up because she and S.B.’s daughter are very close friends,” she said.

The forensic examinatio­n could not determine whether the victim was sexually assaulted.

The hearing has been adjourned to April 18.

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