UAE | Crime
Suspect admits guilt to rape, murder of 4-year-old boy in Dubai mosque
Assigned lawyer refuses to defend suspect for 'ethical reasons'
- By Bassam Za'za', Senior Reporter
- Published: 16:02 December 23, 2009
- Image Credit: GN Archive
- Lawyer Hamed Al Khazraji presented Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir a written apology letter in which he said he would not defend the suspect for ethical reasons and due to the gruesome nature of the alleged murder
Dubai: In an astonishing twist, a man collapsed in tears when he retracted his denial to the charge of murder associated with rape of a four-year-old boy.
The Emirati appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance for the first time Wednesday and pleaded not guilty.
The 30-year-old suspect, R.R., startled more than 200 people present at the Dubai Court of First Instance this morning when he initially claimed that he did not intend to kill the Pakistani boy, M.M., and that he had consensual sex with him.
His court-assigned lawyer Hamed Al Khazraji presented Presiding Judge Fahmi Mounir a written apology letter in which he said he would not defend the suspect for ethical reasons and due to the gruesome nature of the alleged murder associated with rape, which occurred in a washroom of a mosque on the first day of Eid Al Adha.
During the trial, Presiding Judge Mounir asked lawyers at courtroom four who would volunteer to handle R.R.’s case.
Advocate Mohammad Al Sa’adi stood up and said: “Everyone refuses to handle such a case. The suspect committed a ghastly crime which he admitted during questioning. However, if he confesses now and pleads for forgiveness, I will defend him…”
The judge then replied: “I refuse to allow any one to force or pressure the suspect to plead guilty.”
Thereafter, advocate Al Sa’adi asked the judge to allow him to speak to the defendant.
The lawyer told Gulf News after the hearing that he offered his legal consultation to the suspect who agreed to plead guilty and seek mercy and forgiveness.
“I am guilty, I killed him and I raped him as well. I seek forgiveness,” argued the suspect in a weepy voice.
Then Al Sa’adi informed the court that he would defend the suspect.
Senior Prosecutor Yaqoub Al Hammadi asked the court to implement a capital punishment against R.R. Court reconvenes on December 30.
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