Dubai: A worker has been accused of groping a secretary in a street and then punching her in the chest after she struck him with a grocery bag that she was carrying.
The 26-year-old Filipina secretary was said to have struck the 22-year-old Indian worker with a bag that she was carrying once he groped her in the street while she was walking back to her house in Al Satwa in January.
Then the worker punched the secretary in her chest, according to records, and ran away as she fell on the ground and injured her knees.
After not receiving any help from pedestrians to help her up, the Filipina stood up on her own and chased the worker in the streets until some bystanders heard her crying for help and stopped the worker.
Police came in and apprehended the 22-year-old who turned out to be drunk.
Prosecutors charged the suspect with getting drunk, molesting the Filipina and assaulting her.
The suspect failed to show up before the Dubai Court of First Instance and enter his plea.
The presiding judge adjourned the case until the suspect is legally notified about the upcoming hearing on January 12.
The secretary claimed to prosecutors that the incident happened after she had finished her shopping at a nearby grocery store and was walking back to her place at 10.30pm.
“The suspect walked in front of me and suddenly he groped me. He grabbed me strongly and caused me pain and I was disturbed. I struck him quickly with the grocery bag that I was carrying. Then he turned and punched me in my chest … I fell down and injured my legs. When I called out to pedestrians to help me stand up, no one stopped to help. I stood up on my own and chased the suspect for some time … he tried to punch me a second time but I avoided him. Some bystanders helped me stop him and then we called the police. The suspect was taken into custody,” she testified to prosecutors.
A police sergeant claimed to prosecutors that the worker was too drunk to be questioned following the incident.
