Man in Dubai court for raping special needs woman

Dubai: A suspect faces trial for abusing a mentally challenged woman who conceived after being raped although she testified she consensually slept with "a husband promised to her".

Medical reports said the 35-year-old woman, who does not carry any identification, and the 30-year-old Emirati suspect are biological parents of the baby.

A psychiatrist who examined the girl confirmed that her intelligence quota (IQ) is very low and that she is mentally challenged, which makes her unaware of consequences of her acts.

The Public Prosecution charged the suspect, a government employee, with undressing the girl and raping her more than twice.

The girl told the Public Prosecution: "I have known the suspect for more than a year ... we have sex like a husband and wife sometimes in a flat, or at my house or in his car. ... Once I had consensual sex with him in his car in Al Khawaneej. The child I carry is his because I have only slept with him and he has promised to marry me as well."

The Emirati psychiatrist who examined the victim said: "She cannot predict the consequences of her behaviour which makes her lack proper judgment ... she is not responsible for her actions because she has a low IQ and mentally unaware. She seemed unregretful as if she considered what happened as normal."

Dubai Court of First Instance will meet next week to hear witnesses.