Dubai: A sales manager foiled a driver’s attempt to rape her at the entrance of the building where she lived after she pulled his hair hard and pushed him away.
The 25-year-old Pakistani driver, A.K., was said to have released his grip on the 27-year-old Tunisian woman while trying to rape her as he could not tolerate the pain of his hair being pulled.
Records said when the Tunisian woman pulled his hair, he bit her cheek. The incident happened on January 22.
Prosecutors accused A.K. of attempting to rape the sales manager, assaulting her and stealing her belongings, consuming liquor and driving a minibus without the owner’s permission.
“I did not try to rape her. She lied,” argued the defendant when he entered a not guilty plea before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
“Didn’t you steal her money and sunglasses?” presiding judge Urfan Omar asked the suspect in courtroom three.
“I consumed liquor, but I did not rob the woman. She owed me Dh1,500 and, when she did not pay me my money, I took her belongings to force her to give me back my money,” replied A.K.
He further denied the charges of biting the woman and driving a vehicle without the owner’s permission.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said A.K. walked behind the Tunisian into the building and pinned her to the floor. Then he tried to rape her, but she was stronger than him and pulled his hair.
Records said the defendant had to let go of her because he couldn’t tolerate the pain. Prosecutors said the defendant stole the woman’s sunglasses, Dh1,500 and her BlackBerry phone.
The 27-year-old woman testified to prosecutors that the suspect attacked her shortly after she returned from work.
“I had forgotten my swipe card to enter the building … my roommate tossed me her card from the building. Once I walked inside, the defendant came from behind and pushed me down. He pinned me to the floor and grabbed my arms. I resisted him strongly although he tried to rape me. When I pulled his hair very hard, he let go of me. He bit my right cheek. Then he stole my belongings and ran away. I chased him and took note of the minibus’s number plate,” the woman claimed.
Records said police arrested the defendant after the woman provided them with the number plate.
A policeman testified to prosecutors that the suspect was arrested in a sting operation at Dubai International Airport.
“During questioning, the suspect alleged that he was annoyed because his father had refused to allow him to bring his wife to town. He claimed that on the day of the incident when he spotted the Tunisian, he felt attracted to her… he alleged that he hugged and kissed the woman but could not rape her after she fought back,” claimed the policeman. Records said the claimant identified the suspect in the police line-up three times.
The court will appoint a lawyer to defend A.K. when it reconvenes on May 12.