Man facing molestation charges says he was sick

Dubai: A Nepalese man claimed in court on Tuesday that he had just been discharged from hospital and did not realise that he had molested a Filipina journalist and her friend in public.

"I was returning from hospital and I did not realise what I had done on that day. I suffered a mental condition and I don't know what happened. I was told that they took me in an ambulance," said the 35-year-old suspect who pleaded not guilty before the Dubai Court of First Instance yesterday. Prosecutors charged the suspect, K.R., a security guard, with groping the 28-year-old journalist and touching the private parts of the other victim.

According to the arraignment sheet, the victims were walking along Salah Al Deen Street when the defendant allegedly attacked them. "I met my friend in the street. At first, I thought the suspect was escorting her because he stood behind her but she said she didn't know him. When we moved away, he walked behind her and molested her. He continued chasing us before he surprisingly embraced me from the back. I cried for help and tried to push him away and defend myself. We fell on the ground. He didn't let go of me and he pulled my hair. No one from among the bystanders intervened to save us until a hotel doorman did. The incident lasted around ten minutes," said the journalist.

The doorman, who saved the journalist from the suspect, testified that he heard the victim's cry for help at around 8pm.

"No one rushed to help the Filipinas. I ran towards them and pushed him away and freed the victim from his strong grip," he said.