Dubai: student jailed for groping hairdresser in street

Dubai: A student, who took a hairdresser by surprise and groped her while she was accompanying her workmate to a bus stop, has been jailed for three months.

The 19-year-old student from Comoros Islands walked behind the 23-year-old Filipina hairdresser and her countrywoman before he molested her and groped her at Al Satwa in August.

As the woman felt someone touching her bottom, she turned around and saw the 19-year-old pulling away his hand quickly.

The student and his two friends ran away once the Filipina scolded him.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the student of molesting the Filipina although he had pleaded innocent.

“I touched her by mistake. I apologised to her,” the defendant said in court. According to Wednesday’s ruling, presiding judge Fahd Al Shamsi said the defendant will be deported after serving the jail term.

The hairdresser said the incident happened while she was escorting her workmate to the bus stop.

“The defendant and two others walked behind us. Suddenly I felt a hand grabbing my bottom. When I turned back quickly, I saw the accused as he pulled away his hand. I realised that he was the one who had touched me. When I asked him angrily why he touched me, he didn’t reply and ran away. My workmate and I chased the men and they tried to kick us,” she said.

The 33-year-old workmate said the student laughed when the victim asked him why he had groped her.

The primary judgement remains subject to appeal within 15 days.