Holidaymaker convicted of groping married woman
Defendant sentenced in absentia for failing to enter a plea when he missed his trial
Dubai: A holidaymaker has been sentenced in absentia to three months in jail for following a married woman and groping her near the lift of a hotel where they were staying in Dubai
The incident took place in June when the 24-year-old Saudi woman and her family were vacationing in Dubai.
When she went down for breakfast, the wife was believed to have noticed her 27-year-old countryman holidaymaker following her and staring at her in an inappropriate manner.
Shortly after breakfast, when the woman headed to the lift to go to her room, the defendant groped her outside the elevator.
The Saudi woman called her husband and told him what happened before he reported the matter to the police. The accused ran away from the scene.
On Tuesday, the Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced the defendant in absentia after he failed to show up in court and enter his plea.
Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal said the accused will be deported after the term.
The Saudi woman testified to prosecutors that she went down to have breakfast at 8am. “When I finished breakfast and went to the lift, the defendant came behind me and groped me. He ran away immediately after I called my husband,” she said.
Prosecution records said the defendant was seen on CCTV cameras walking behind the woman and groping her.