Dubai: A barber has been accused of molesting a nine-year-old schoolgirl by kissing and hugging her while she was playing with kittens near her house.

The 30-year-old Pakistani barber, S.I., was said to have hugged and kissed the Indian schoolgirl shortly after her brother called her to come out and play with the newborn kittens near her family’s house in Freij Al Marar in May.

Records said the barber had molested the girl on different occasions near the family’s house.

The suspect pleaded not guilty when he defended himself before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.

According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect had forced himself on the girl several times, kissed her and hugged her against her will.

S.I. requested presiding judge Ali Abdul Wahhab to dismiss the case against him.

The girl was cited as telling prosecutors: “When my brother arrived at home from school at 7pm, he asked me to go out and play with the kittens that he had seen. We rushed out to play with the kittens … then my brother went to play with the children of our neighbours. The suspect came and grabbed my hand, he walked me to a nearby alley where he claimed that there were more kittens to play with. I saw a number of kittens … the suspect grabbed me by one arm and he touched me indecently by his other arm. He also hugged me and kissed me. When my brother came and called me, the suspect let me go. I told my mother about what had happened. Three days later, our neighbour came and told us that a firefighting truck was outside … we went out to watch it. The suspect came from behind and then he hugged me and kissed me. He also touched me indecently. A few days later, we were all going out of home when my brother spotted the suspect and pointed at him … and told my mother that he was the person who touched me. The suspect told my mother that he works in a nearby barbershop. When she informed my father, my father took me to the salon to identify the suspect.”

Records said the girl’s father reported the matter to the police who apprehended S.I.

Meanwhile, the suspect was quoted as telling prosecutors that he had grabbed the girl’s wrist but did not molest her.

A ruling will be heard on October 27.