Dubai: An off-duty policeman has been cleared of luring a 13-year-old girl into a romantic affair after they met over the internet before he raped her in his car. Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the 23-year-old policeman, A.M., of having sex with the Emirati teenager after they met on a social media network.
Records said the suspect became acquainted with the Emirati teenager over the social media network before he lured her to a car and had sex with her in the back seat in August 2013.
The policeman was tried in absentia.
According to the charge sheet, prosecutors said the man enticed the girl and lured her into a romantic affair before getting her to his car and raping her. Prosecutors said the suspect exploited the girl’s adolescence and helplessness.
The 13-year-old schoolgirl alleged to prosecutors that she met A.M. over the internet through a chat site.
“We exchanged numbers and communicated for some time. I went with him in his car two times and we did not do anything. The third time, we went out during Ramadan at around 2am. He drove to a deserted and poorly lit area where we kissed for a while. When he asked to have sex with me, I refused at first. But then he talked me into allowing him to have sex with him. Then he dropped me at my aunt’s residence. The next day I called him and asked him to visit my parents and propose after having allowed him to sleep with me.
“He said that he could do so because he was not ready financially. The next day I called him repeatedly but he did not answer me. I did not inform my parents about what happened because I do not trust them … I only told my aunt. Once my aunt returned to Dubai in August 2013, I told her what had happened. She tried to discuss the matter with A.M. and resolve the matter amicably, but he did not answer her calls. Thereafter we reported the matter to the police,” the girl claimed to prosecutors.
The aunt confirmed her 13-year-old niece’s statement and claimed to prosecutors: “I took his contact details and called him to settle the problem. In the beginning he agreed to solve the matter amicably, but later he stopped answering me. Then I reported the matter to the police.”
According to Wednesday’s ruling, prosecutors’ evidence was insufficient and unsubstantiated.
