Dubai: A cleaner was tried before a Dubai court on Monday for allegedly sexually abusing an 11-year-old girl in Al Barsha.
The 23-year-old Indian defendant was charged with sexually abusing the girl after he followed her to her family’s apartment while her parents were out. He was additionally charged with trespassing.
In June of this year, the girl, whose nationality wasn’t disclosed, was swimming with her mother at the resident’s pool, when her mother asked her to return to the apartment to have her meal.
“My mother told me to go and have a lasagne,” said the girl. “I was in the lift when the suspect followed me. I opened the apartment door and then closed it without noticing that he actually entered the apartment as well.”
The girl then said the man locked the door and followed her to her parent’s bedroom and chatted with her because she was upset with her mother.
He then pulled her outside of the apartment to the emergency exit, where he hugged her and tried to kiss her before writing his phone number on her hand. He then returned the girl to the apartment and went to her parent’s room. When the mother arrived the man told her that he was fixing a problem with the balcony. “My daughter was upset when she went to the apartment,” said the mother. “I followed her after 15 minutes and she opened the door for me. She was confused and I saw the suspect inside the apartment. I called police when he pushed me away and fled.”
Police arrived and checked the surveillance cameras, which showed the defendant following the victim to the lift and to the apartment.
The defendant claimed that he was fixing the apartment’s door and nobody allowed him to enter the apartment.
On Monday, the case was heard behind closed doors.
A verdict is expected on September 16. The defendant will remain in custody.
