Dubai: A man has been accused of public indecency when he committed a lewd act in public and molested a female tourist while she was watching the Dubai Fountain show at Dubai Mall.
The 31-year-old Jordanian man was said to have committed a lewd act in front of hundreds of tourists when he stood behind the Dutch tourist and molested her and committed an indecent act in public in November.
Prosecutors accused the defendant of flashing at Dubai Mall’s open area and committing an indecent act and molesting the woman tourist.
The suspect entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.
“Did you commit those acts?” the presiding judge asked the suspect in court.
“I was not aware of what happened then,” replied the suspect.
“What is that supposed to mean? Did you do it or not? What happened?” the judge asked him again.
“I don’t know what happened to me then. I was not myself and I did not recognise what happened to me,” contended the defendant. He also denied being under the influence of liquor.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the suspect molested the woman by bringing his body close to hers and committing a lewd act.
According to the Dutch woman’s statement before police interrogators, she claimed that she was watching the aqua musical show when she felt the suspect pressing himself against her.
“The open area was packed with tourists watching the water show. I felt the suspect behaving indecently and bizarrely behind me a number of times. I turned behind quickly and when I noticed what the suspect was doing, I shouted at him. Then I hit him on his shoulder… he walked away. I informed the nearest security guard at the place. An hour later, I bumped into the suspect at the same location before I called the security,” she claimed.
Dubai Police’s forensic evidence report confirmed that the traces of semen that were lifted from the woman’s clothes matched those of the defendant.
When questioned by prosecutors, the suspect confessed.
A ruling will be heard on March 31.
