Dubai: A student has been sentenced to life for forcing a schoolboy to swallow a tranquilliser and then raping him while filming the abuse on his mobile phone.
The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 20-year-old Emirati student, A.M., of raping the 16-year-old schoolboy yesterday (Tuesday).
The judge found the defendant guilty despite the fact he firmly denied the accusations when he entered his plea.
“I did not rape the boy. I am not guilty,” A.M. told the court.
The boy testified he was playing soccer in a public playground when his friend, identified as I., told him over the phone that he would take him for a drive.
He told prosecutors: “I. picked me up from Nad Al Shamma. There were three people in the car, the accused, I., and a third person who was driving. The third person dropped us at A.M.’s house in Rashidiya and left.
“We chatted outside for two hours. I did not answer my dad’s calls although he phoned me because I was late home. A.M. asked me to walk with him into the house to help him move some boxes.
“I refused to go into the house and to take a pill from him.
“He grabbed me by the neck and forced me to swallow the pill saying it was Tramadol. We stayed outside the house for another 30 minutes.
“I. and A.M. refused to take me home.
“The defendant asked I. to go and buy refreshments. Then he took me into the house. He threatened me with a knife, forced me to remove my clothes and raped me.”
According to court records by the time the schoolboy finally got home at around 3am, his father - who had no idea what had happened - refused to let him sleep there as he had returned late.
The boy slept at a friend’s house instead, not waking up until 7pm the next day because of the pill.
When he returned home, he told his mother what had happened. His father then took him to the police station and reported the incident.
Prosecutors said A.M. twisted the schoolboy’s arm and threw him on the floor and then raped him.
Tuesday’s verdict remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
