Couple sentenced to six months in jail

Abu Dhabi: A court in Abu Dhabi on Tuesday sentenced a woman to six months in jail to be followed by deportation on the charge of adultery and fined her Dh1,000 for undergoing an abortion.

The man who committed adultery with her, S.K., was sentenced to six months in jail to be followed by deportation by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance.

Both the defendants were of Indian origin. The woman, A.S., is reportedly married and is 33 years of age.

According to the woman's brother, who filed the case against S.K., his sister was employed as a cleaner at a petrol station near Al Rahba area. She was allegedly drugged and raped by the man, who works as a car wash attendant.

"My sister was unconscious for nearly six hours, and she had been unaware of being raped until a medicine she took caused her to have an abortion," he told Gulf News. He also added that his sister was childless, although she had been married for almost ten years.

"Since her husband is not here, she did not know she was pregnant. She was simply feeling sick and a medicine she took led to an abortion. When she told me of this, I asked her how she could have gotten pregnant. She then told me that she had been given some juice by this man a few months ago and had passed out after drinking it," he said.

A.S.'s brother then filed a case against the man who he alleged had raped his sister. At an earlier hearing, the man admitted to consensual sex with the female defendant. The woman however denied the charge, and said she had no knowledge of the act.

After the verdict was announced, the woman's brother said he would file an appeal against it.

"My sister is innocent. I do hope she will not have to stay in jail for six months after what happened to her," he said.