Dubai: A manager has been accused of walking behind a woman shopper to her car after she refused his offer to help carry her goods and groping her.
The 48-year-old Turkish manager, N.U., was said to have bumped into the Austrian shopper at a hypermarket’s cashier when he offered to help her carry her groceries in November.
The 40-year-old Austrian woman refused the man’s offer, according to records, and headed to her car before the latter came from behind and groped her while she was putting her purchases in the trunk.
The man was arrested two months later after he was identified through CCTV cameras at the shopping mall in Jebel Ali, said records.
Prosecutors accused him of molesting the woman.
The suspect entered a not guilty plea when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.
“No … I did not touch her,” N.U. told presiding judge Urfan Omar.
The woman claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened around 1.30pm shortly before she had finished shopping and was about to pick her children from school.
“When he [the suspect] offered to help me carry the purchases to the car, I refused. Once I opened the trunk and started putting the goods inside, the suspect approached me from behind. He asked me if I wanted to date him before I explained to him that I was married. He then groped me and ran away. I picked up my children from school … I also told my husband what had happened over the phone. I reported the matter to the police after I picked up my kids. In January the police called and summoned me to the police station to identify the suspect who had been arrested,” she testified to prosecutors.
A police corporal claimed to prosecutors that the suspect was summoned to the police station after they identified his workplace.
“During questioning, N.U. claimed that he had met the shopper at the cashier and offered to help her carry her purchases to her vehicle,” he testified.
The suspect was quoted telling prosecutors that he constantly offers to help shoppers [men and women] who might require assistance to carry their purchases to their cars.
The trial continues.
