Dubai: A security guard pleaded not guilty to charges that he raped a 29-year-old maid whom he promised to find a job with a higher salary.
The 26-year-old defendant, identified as M.H., was also charged with illegal consumption of alcohol after he allegedly induced the victim, identified as S.A., to drink liquor.
Translator
Dubai Court of First Instance Presiding Judge Hamad Abdul Latif Abdul Jawad suspended the hearing to June 4 to enable a translator to join and assist in the trial as the defendant had difficulty answering questions during the proceedings. Both the accused and the victim are Ethiopians.
According to prosecutors the defendant used force to rape the victim.
In her testimony, S.A. said she was dining with her friend at an Ethiopian restaurant in Karama when they were approached by the defendant.
"He promised to find me a better job with a higher salary. I told him that I worked as a housemaid for Dh600 in Sharjah. We exchanged contacts. I phoned him after 15 days and asked him about the job that he promised me.
Dinner invitation
"I met him for an interview at a hotel. He disappeared for five minutes claiming that he would talk to my future manager… he returned and said I got hired. Then I accepted his dinner invite. While walking back home, we entered a wedding party in a hotel," the victim said.
She added: "Although I don't drink, I accepted his invite for a drink out of fear of losing the job. I felt dizzy then [I] woke up the next morning to find myself naked in bed with M.H. When I asked [him] what happened, he admitted that he had sex with me. I dressed up and left immediately although he asked me to have more sex with him."
The defendant denied the victim's claims when questioned by prosecutors.
M.H. said he knew the victim for one year, but they never had sex.
He added that he is bewildered by why she came up with such an accusation.
