Fujairah Court upholds sentence for man who used sorcery to win back wife

Fujairah: The Fujairah Court of Appeal has upheld a six-month prison sentence against a man convicted of practicing sorcery, violating his wife’s privacy, and sending her personal photos to a woman who claimed to have supernatural powers.

The case began when the wife filed a complaint, accusing her husband of using sorcery on her, their children, and her family. She learned of his actions after a spiritual healer contacted her via WhatsApp, sharing messages and photos that revealed her husband’s involvement.

During questioning, the husband confessed. He admitted to using sorcery on his wife and said he had paid a woman he found online to cast love spells in an attempt to win her back.

Investigators found that the man had searched the internet for a “sorceress” about two weeks before his wife filed the complaint. He eventually connected with a woman in another Arab country through WhatsApp and asked her to help rekindle his wife’s affection.

The woman demanded Dh20,000 to perform the rituals and asked for personal photos and videos of the couple, along with their phone numbers. He complied. Later, she demanded an additional Dh25,000. When he refused, she threatened to expose him by sending the materials to his wife. He ignored the threats, but she continued contacting him using different phone numbers.

In a panic, he sought help from another sorcerer, paying Dh10,000 to try to fix the situation. That too failed. He even reached out to a third spiritual healer who did not ask for money, but before he could proceed, police arrested him.

The man confirmed that he had used his personal phone and WhatsApp to communicate with all the sorcerers.

In her testimony, the wife stated she had already filed for divorce due to ongoing problems, including verbal abuse and physical assault. She had left the family home two months earlier and was staying with her parents, while the children remained with their father. The divorce case was still pending.

She also revealed that a woman from outside the UAE contacted her, offering proof of her husband’s involvement in sorcery in exchange for Dh35,000. When the wife refused to pay without seeing evidence, the woman sent photos, videos, and images of magical symbols. The wife then filed an official complaint.

The Fujairah Public Prosecution charged the husband with four offences. He was accused of collaborating with unknown individuals — whose phone numbers were confirmed in a forensic report — to commit fraud and practice sorcery to influence his wife and others.

He was also charged with endangering his wife and family, sharing private photos and videos via WhatsApp with a sorceress, and violating privacy laws by sending personal images without consent.

The case was classified as a cybercrime and a form of fraud involving sorcery. The initial court sentenced the husband to six months in jail, ordered the confiscation and destruction of all seized materials, and imposed a fine.

The man appealed the verdict. During the appeal hearings, he appeared remotely from prison with his lawyer present. When asked about the charges, he denied them. The prosecutor urged the court to reject the appeal and uphold the sentence.

After reviewing the case, the court ruled that while the appeal met formal requirements, there was no basis to overturn the original decision. It found the evidence convincing and the earlier ruling sound, stating that the husband’s denial appeared to be a last-ditch effort to avoid punishment.

The appeal was dismissed, and the six-month prison sentence was confirmed.