Vendor cleared of molesting US Marine woman soldier

Dubai: Prosecutors lost their appeal against a vendor, who was cleared of groping a US woman Marine while he fitted a scarf on her.

The Indian vendor, S.A., was earlier charged with touching the American soldier indecently while she was in his accessories and garment shop in January.

In May, the Dubai Court of First Instance cleared S.A. of molesting the Marine due to lack of evidence.

However, the Dubai Appeal Court rejected prosecutors’ appeal to overturn the primary ruling and confirmed S.A.’s innocence.

The vendor had pleaded not guilty and refuted the soldier’s claims that he molested her.

“She did not come into the shop alone … they were a group of people. The shop’s surveillance cameras clearly show that I did not grope her,” S.A. argued in court when he defended himself.

The Marine alleged that the incident happened when she and her colleagues visited tourist sites in Dubai.

“We walked in places that we were not familiar with. We walked into the shop to check it out. The suspect came and asked me to accompany him to the accessories’ section to see some items. He showed me a necklace, but I told him that it was not my style. He insisted that I try it on before he came and put it on my neck. I told him it was expensive so he removed it. Then he walked me to the garment section and showed me a scarf. He said that I should try it on and … when he draped it on me, he groped me. When he touched me inappropriately, I realised that he was molesting me.

“I moved away and asked him to take the scarf away …. I was embarrassed and scared. We left the shop. After the incident happened, I trembled a lot and told myself what an idiot I had been for not stopping him. I could not discuss what had happened with anybody … I isolated myself for three days … and then I decided to tell my colleagues. Then they reported the matter to the police and our vessel set sail,” the soldier claimed.

Presiding judge Saeed Salem Bin Sarm dismissed prosecutors’ appeal and upheld the acquittal that remains subject to appeal before the Cassation Court within 25 days.