Dubai: Lawyers defending a 61-year-old woman accused of starving her maid to death asked a court on Thursday to annul the forensic examination report because it is full of contradictions.

The elderly Emirati woman had earlier pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance and denied beating her Indonesian maid, depriving her of her freedom and keeping her hungry until she starved to death in her villa in September 2015.

The woman’s lawyers, Ali Abdullah Al Shamsi and Mohammad Al Saadi, argued before presiding judge Urfan Omar that Dubai Police’s forensic examiner failed to carry out a proper examination and that the report was full of contradictions and discrepancies.

Lawyers Al Shamsi and Al Saadi contended in court that the forensic examination report mentioned that the victim’s bruises and injuries were not the cause of death.

The lawyers also refuted prosecutors’ accusation that the maid was starved to death as they quoted the examiner’s report, in which it was mentioned that the Indonesian had food in her stomach.

“How could have she died of starvation while the examiner mentioned that the maid had food in her stomach? That means she used to eat and had not been starved or left unfed. The examiner said the maid had two ulcers in her stomach which affected her appetite and she refused to eat. She is the one who was not eating although my client had food left in the kitchen and over the stove. She didn’t starve her. The suspect also did not deprive the victim of her freedom … the fences and wires with which she had surrounded her villa were used for protection from any external danger. My client lived in the villa alone with the maid … she fixed those wire fences and wires to protect her villa and not to prevent the maid from going out. Actually she had obtained a travel pass for the maid to take her with her abroad just a few days before the death … so why would she confine her or prevent her freedom?” contended Al Shamsi.

Al Saadi argued that the forensic examiner should have carried out a microscopic examination to be able to specify the exact cause of death.

“Prosecutors said starvation was the cause of death, based on the examiner’s report. The forensic examiner only carried out a physical examination … meanwhile a microscopic examination could have given a definite reason for the cause of death. The report is full of contradictions and lacks several technical issues. Besides, the victim was in her 20s and the suspect is an elderly woman, who is bound to a wheelchair. Although she is capable of moving a bit around her house, how could she overpower a young and energetic maid?” he said. Prosecutors said the suspect locked her Indonesian maid in her villa and repeatedly assaulted her and left her without food until she died of hunger. She was charged with depriving the woman of her freedom and being liable for her death.

The 61-year-old abused the fact that the maid lived with her in her villa, the windows and doors of which she locked to prevent the victim from running away, according to prosecution records.

She also deprived the deceased of her freedom and kept her unfed until she died of severe malnourishment.

Advocates Al Shamsi and Al Saadi asked presiding judge Omar to dismiss their client’s accusations and acquit her.

A ruling will be heard on December 12.