Man accused of raping woman after helping her

abu dhabi — An Emirati man is facing trial at the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First instance allegedly for raping a woman whom he offered help after her car got a mechanical problem during night.

The court heard on Tuesday that the Emirati man found two Moroccan women stuck on a road in the Wathba area after their car had an engine problem. When they asked for help, he took them in his car to a nearby fuel station to get a mechanic. Unfortunately, they couldn’t find one since it was late.

According to court records, the women told prosecutors that they were returning home after a trip and their home was located far from the area where their car got a problem.

The second woman, a friend of the victim, told prosecutors that when they failed to get a mechanic, they had opted to go back and sleep in their car till morning.

She noted that the accused however insisted that he should get them to a hotel where they could stay for the night and get their car fixed the next day.

“He took us to a hotel and booked a room for the two of us and then left,” said the witness.

“And after an hour, he returned to our room and told us that he would rest in the hotel lounge for a few hours since it was already past midnight and he had some important work in the morning.”

The woman said when she woke up and went for Zuhr prayers, leaving her friend in the room, she found the man seated in the hotel lounge. “After prayers, I returned to the hotel room to find the man inside our room, trying to kiss my friend by force,” she said.

“I asked him to leave her alone, but he refused.”

The witness told the prosecutors that when she went out of the room to call the police or the hotel security upon the victim’s request, the man locked the door and raped her friend.

She added: “I returned with the hotel’s security man, who knocked at the door. But the accused didn’t open it as he was still attacking my friend. I could hear her screaming.”

By the time the security officer hurried to call the police, the man fled the hotel.

The police later arrested the accused after the victim filed a complaint. A medical report confirmed that the woman was raped.

The man, however, denied the charge of rape.

ismail@khaleejtimes.com