Abu Dhabi: "She was too afraid to call out or cry even. The whole incident has left her tormented ... we are trying to bring her back to normal. But it is going to be tough to help her forget the whole episode," R. S., the mother of a 10-year-old who was allegedly molested at a shopping mall, said.
The incident allegedly happened last Thursday at the Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre at 9.30pm.
R. S. had gone shopping at the mall with her daughter Z. S. and her 2-year-old son, and while she was selecting garments, Z. S. took her crying brother to see the store's toys a few steps away.
"My daughter said that when she was looking at the toys a man approached her. He then started touching her inappropriately and touched her private parts. She tried to move away and run. The man blocked her way and repeated his acts. She finally managed to push him away and came back to me.
"I sensed that something was wrong the moment I saw her and kept asking what had happened. But she wouldn't say anything and looked scared," the mother said. R. S. and her children went on to another store at the mall and the offender followed the family.
"After we left the mall, I kept enquiring about why she was looking petrified. That is when I learnt about what had happened."
The family went back to the mall and lodged a formal complaint immediately. Z. S. described the man as an elderly person with white and black hair and also gave information about the way he dressed.
"We also filed a complaint at the Shabiya police station. Such perverts must not go unpunished", R. S. said.
Outraged by incident, the child's father S. V. said: "It is the first time Z. S is coming across any such behaviour and she is terrified."
Speaking about the incident, a police official, who asked not to be named, said the security camera footage is being looked through to find the offender and the investigations are ongoing.
