Abu Dhabi: A 14-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a bus driver, according to a case filed at Abu Dhabi court.
However Chief Justice Saeed Abdul Bashir said the matter may be treated as consensual sex because of evidence uncovered by the court.
Justice Abdul Bashir, head of the criminal justice section at the Abu Dhabi Judicial Department, spoke to Gulf News about the case following the first hearing.
Court papers showed that the accused, M.N., is 25 years old, eleven years older than the victim, who is of Brazilian nationality.
According to the victim's father, who reported the case, the incident took place on April 3 in an undisclosed apartment in Abu Dhabi.
Contrary to the charges filed against the accused, court investigators said they believed the act may have been consensual because the victim had been sending text messages to the driver for some time.
Justice Abdul Bashir said: "The girl had been sending very intimate pictures of herself to the accused, some of which included nude pictures. She also used to send him text messages".
He also said: "According to Sharia law, the girl is considered to be an adult since she has reached the age of puberty. As she contacted the accused on her own, the incident is considered to be consensual on her part".
