Dubai: A businessman has been accused of raping his brother-in-law’s wife when the couple came over to his residence to break their fast during Ramadan, a court heard on Thursday.
According to records, the Pakistani brother-in-law and his compatriot wife visited the Afghan businessman’s house for iftar in May, as they usually did every year.
Once they ended the fast, the husband went out to finish some work at 8pm, leaving his wife behind.
The businessman, 37, is believed to have started sweet-talking the wife and complimenting her beauty, in an attempt to convince her to have sex with him, but she refused.
As he started undressing against her will in an attempt to force himself on her, she started shouting. The businessman then muzzled the woman, pinned her down to the floor, removed her clothes forcibly and raped her.
Thereafter, he is believed to have manipulated her, threatening her not to tell her husband what had happened, otherwise he would claim that she had seduced him.
Only after five days did the wife divulge her ordeal to her husband’s female relative, who informed the husband, and they reported it to the police.
The police then apprehended the Afghan businessman, and prosecutors charged the suspect with rape.
The suspect pleaded not guilty when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.
He was also spotted handing a written waiver that he claimed to have obtained from the woman, to his lawyer.
Presiding judge Habib Awad adjourned the case until the lawyer presents the written defence when the court reconvenes on October 18.
The rape victim, in her twenties, testified to prosecutors: “We were used to having iftar at the suspect’s residence in Ramadan. That day, we arrived at the suspect’s place at 6pm. After breaking our fast, my husband left me alone with the suspect and went to finish some business. He put his hands on my legs and spoke to me sweetly, in a bid to convince me to have sex with him. I refused his attempts and asked him to stop. When he tried to have me by force, I shouted at him. He muzzled me and raped me by force on the floor. After he finished, he threatened me not to tell my husband anything, or he would claim that I had asked him to have sex with me. He then alleged that if my husband found out, he would divorce me immediately. I didn’t tell my husband that his brother-in-law had raped me, because I was afraid of a scandal and divorce. Five days later, I exposed what the suspect had done to me to my husband’s relative and she told him; then we informed the police.”
