Man gets 3 months in jail for groping woman

dubai — A Dubai Court has sentenced a man to three months in jail for indecently touching a woman as she walked late at night.

Prosecutors accused the 30-year-old Indian driver of taking the Filipina woman by surprise, inappropriately touching her and then fleeing the scene. He denied the charge at the Dubai Court of First Instance, claiming he touched her by mistake. He was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail to be followed by deportation.

The case was registered at Bur Dubai Police Station.

The complainant, a 25-yearold waitress, told the prosecution investigator that she met the defendant for the first time.

“It was at 1.20am on August 3. I was near a restaurant and was about to go to a supermarket. My friend was with me. There were a group of five to six men who were coming in the opposite way. One of them groped me intentionally. I yelled at him but he then replied in a very abusive and vulgar manner.”

He not only ignored her screams for help, but also laughed and continued his way. “I followed them and kept screaming until an African man came and restrained the defendant,” the complainant said.

She added that she had no idea about what could have prompted the accused into that behaviour as she did not encourage or provoke him in any way. She identified him when she saw him later at the police station.

The Filipina woman, corroborated her testimony in full during the public prosecution investigation. She said the defendant’s companions had nothing to do with what he was accused of.

The defendant can appeal the ruling within 15 days.