Dubai A young worker has been accused of groping a woman shopper inside a branded store at a mall and showing her his middle finger, a court heard on Monday.
The 34-year-old Chinese woman was in a corridor between display shelves when the 18-year-old Iranian worker walked beside her and rubbed her posterior in October.
When the woman confronted him, he apologised and she pardoned him, according to records.
However, the 18-year-old suddenly flicked his middle finger in the face of the woman shopper, who then called the security and asked them to restrain the man until she called the police.
The 18-year-old worker broke loose, escaped from the hands of the security, said records.
The policemen present at the mall apprehended the worker shortly after the incident.
Prosecutors accused the 18-year-old suspect of groping the woman and gesturing indecently in public.
The suspect pleaded not guilty and denied his accusations when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Monday.
His lawyer asked presiding judge Urfan Omar to adjourn the hearing so she could prepare her defence.
The 34-year-old shopper testified to prosecutors that the incident happened at 8.35pm while she was shopping with her friend in Deira.
“Suddenly I felt someone groping my posterior and rubbing it … I turned around and saw the suspect. He apologised when I confronted him. I pardoned him because he looked so young … but when he flashed his middle finger to me, I called the security. The suspect ran away and disappeared,” she claimed to prosecutors.
The shopper’s countrywoman friend told prosecutors that she was next to the 34-year-old complainant who suddenly screamed.
“The suspect apologised to her for having touched her bottom and she excused him. He walked for a few metres before he turned around and showed her the middle finger … my friend then instantly grabbed him and called the security. While my friend was speaking to the police over the phone, the suspect escaped from the hands of the security. However, he was arrested later and taken into custody,” she testified to prosecutors.
The court reconvenes on December 14.
