Dubai: A man faces three years in jail after a court convicted him Wednesday of abducting and raping a waitress after offering her a ride in his car.
The Dubai Court of First Instance's Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir found the Emirati defendant I.R., 31, guilty of kidnapping the Filipina waitress, 23, using deceit before sexually assaulting her in his car.
When the accused appeared in court earlier, he pleaded not guilty and strongly denied the charges. "No, I am not guilty...and I did not threaten her, your Honour. We had consensual sex it was not against her will," I.R. argued.
Prosecutors accused I.R. of tricking 23-year-old M.L. and convincing her to get into his car before raping her in the passenger's seat.
M.L. told prosecutors that I.R. threatened to kill her and her family if she reported the matter to police.
Prosecution records said the incident took place after I.R. drove M.L. and her friends home from a friend's party in Satwa.
"My friend went up home and I stayed to ask I.R. to return the photocopy of my labour visa which he took from me at the party," M.L. told police during prosecution questioning.
M.L.'s friend, A.R., testified that she broke into tears on returning home around 5am. "I heard her informing our friend [who organised the party] that I.R. raped her ... " A.R. told prosecutors.
The judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
