Dubai: A visitor has been cleared of taking a woman shopper inside a music store and groping her.
Citing lack of corroborated evidence, the Dubai Court of First Instance acquitted the Algerian visitor, M.I., of coming from behind the Saudi woman, who was standing in the aisle between two shelves, and molesting her at the music store in March.
M.I. had firmly dismissed the Saudi woman’s claims and pleaded not guilty before the court.
The suspect’s lawyer, Abdullah Haji, argued in court that the Saudi woman brought in fabricated and unconvincing claims against his client.
The 26-year-old Saudi woman alleged that the incident happened while her husband was on the other side of the store.
“I was checking out some items displayed on a shelf … when the suspect came from behind me. He touched my posterior. I was angered by his behaviour … I turned around immediately and stared at him while he laughed at me. I was even more angered and then walked towards him and stared at his face and asked him his name. He came close towards me and I stepped back so that he did not touch me from the front. ‘Why do you want my name … I do not have a name,’ he told me. He continued smiling. The aisle was narrow but had enough space for two people to pass at the same time … he could have easily walked through without touching me,” she testified to prosecutors.
“All her claims were unfounded and illogical. She gave an inconsistent statement and she lied about the molestation … my client did not even touch her. According to surveillance footage at the store, it was obvious that she is the one who moved backwards between the shelves and bumped into my client. He did not grope her as she claimed. My client did not commit any wrongdoing,” argued lawyer Haji.
Sunday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
