Dubai: The Gardens residents are calling for a security beef-up following the alleged molestation of a 12-year-old girl last Thursday.
An Indian family was in shock when their 12-year-old daughter claimed she was molested in front of their building.
According to the girl’s father, his daughter was sexually assaulted by a man when she went to dispose of garbage in front of the building.
The man — believed to be an Arab between 30 and 40 years old — is said to have asked the girl something in Arabic that she did not understand. He put his hand over her mouth, held her against the exit door and pulled down his pants.
“As far as I know there are only two security vehicles patrolling this area. How can you expect these guys to keep a check on all buildings at the same time? We have always been concerned about the lack of security in The Gardens. With the recent incident, I am now all the more worried,” said an Indian tenant.
Random checks of some of the buildings in The Gardens by XPRESS revealed that none had security personnel.
The main doors of most buildings opened into empty lobbies leading to the lifts. A drive around the area also revealed practically no security patrolling in the development.
A Lebanese tenant said: “Lack of security is a big issue here. I used to go jogging in the nearby park before, but I stopped after some workers would just stare at me in an awkward way. We are also not happy that some flats have been leased to companies that have put up many single men in one-bedroom flats. We have complained to Nakheel about this and are waiting for appropriate actions.”
Another Iraqi tenant living there for the last eight years said: “When we moved in here, there was a good security arrangement, but in the last two years security measures have gone down. Although I have never encountered an incident, I definitely would like security personnel in the building. My children go to the nearby park and play by themselves. After this incident I shall caution them or send my wife with them,” he said.
The Gardens, comprising 129 low-rise buildings and 3,828 apartments, is located next to Discovery Gardens and Ibn Battuta Mall.
