Dubai
A tour guide has been jailed for one year after a court convicted him of having consensual sex with his flatmate twice although she claimed it was rape.
The 25-year-old Chinese tour guide had denied raping his 20-year-old countrywoman when he appeared before the Dubai Court of First Instance.
Although prosecutors accused the defendant of raping his flatmate twice within two days and attempting to rape her a third time before she escaped and called the police, the 25-year-old contended that they had consensual sex.
On Tuesday, presiding judge Mohammad Jamal sentenced the defendant to one year in jail after the bench of judges modified the rape charge to having consensual sex.
The accused will be deported following the completion of his punishment, said presiding judge Jamal.
The 20-year-old shared the residence with her two countrywomen and the defendant, who lived in a separate cubicle in the same flat at the China Cluster of Dubai International City.
It was her day off and her countrywomen were at work when the 25-year-old got on to her bed and had sex with her for the first time in October.
When the two friends returned, she told them what had happened and they advised her not to report the police because the accused could be a member of a Chinese gang that could hurt her.
Two days later, the man walked in on the woman, who was asleep, and had sex with her again. She was scared to report it to the police the second time as well.
The third time happened towards the end of the month when the man attempted to undress and have sex with her while she was heading to the balcony.
The 20-year-old pushed him away and ran out of the flat and called the police. Police apprehended the 25-year-old man soon after the countrywoman claimed he had raped her.
The defendant pleaded innocent in court.
The 20-year-old woman alleged the first time the defendant took her by surprise at 8.30am as she slept.
“My flatmates warned me that the defendant could be a Chinese gangster and hurt me if I reported him to the police. Two days later, the defendant repeated what he did earlier. I could not resist him because he was physically stronger than me. I shouted for help but nobody heard me. I was afraid to call the police. However, the third time he tried to rape me, I pushed him away, left the flat and called the police,” she testified.
A police sergeant said the accused was apprehended at the entrance of the building where he stayed.
“He refuted the woman’s rape claims and alleged that she was his girlfriend and they had consensual sex,” he testified.
The court reduced the rape charge to consensual sex and sentenced the defendant to a year in jail.
Tuesday’s ruling remains subject to appeal within 15 days.
