Police corporal denies molesting woman

Dubai: A police corporal accused of sexually molesting a woman he befriended on social media has denied the charges.

The incident took place in November 2013.

The 26-year-old accused, S.B., was said to have became friends with the Filipina woman using the Skout app. He is accused of picking up the victim from the parking lot of a shopping mall, undressing her, groping her and kissing her against her will. The suspect then allegedly forced her out of his car and left her naked in the street because she resisted his advances.

Prosecutors charged S.B. with molesting the Filipina and verbally threatening to kill her if she did not remain silent about what happened.

“I am not guilty. She asked me to pick her up and willingly jumped into my car. She removed her clothes on her own and asked me to have sex with her…” the suspect told the Dubai Court of First Instance on Thursday.

“Did you throw her out of the car and keep her naked in the street?” presiding judge Ezzat Abdul Lat asked the suspect.

“I am a law enforcement officer and I am stationed here at Dubai Courts… why would I do such a thing or commit such an act that is punishable by law! I was not aware that she had removed her clothes. She is the one who wanted to have sex with me… but I did not do so,” the suspect said.

According to the charge-sheet, prosecutors said the suspect kissed the Filipina against her will, groped her and removed her clothes when she was in his car. He was also accused of threatening her verbally.

The victim told prosecutors that “I was acquainted with the suspect over Skout [a smartphone application that allows users to network] and took the pin code of his Blackberry Messenger. We chatted for a week and then we decided to meet. He picked me up and told me that we would go a ride in his car. He drove for an hour and returned to the mall’s outside parking and parked the car. He put the sunshield on the front window and kissed me. When I asked him to stop, he groped me. He removed part of my clothes and groped me again. I shouted at him and asked him to stop… he leaned back my seat and jumped over me. He molested and kissed md repeatedly… meanwhile I shouted and yelled and tried to push him back and tried to kick the horn to call for help. When I tried to open the back door and jump out, he grabbed me from my neck and threatened to kill me. Then I picked my mobile phone from the floor to call the police, but he hit me. I managed to break lose and moved to the driver’s seat and jumped out… meanwhile he drove off”.

A policeman testified to prosecutors that the defendant alleged during questioning that the Filipina had agreed to have consensual sex with him.

“When I questioned him, he claimed that she removed her clothes willingly. Then when he moved to her seat wanting to have sex with her, she changed her mind suddenly. He claimed that he got angry and that she also refused to have sex with him for money. Then he pushed her out of his car and left,” the policeman claimed to prosecutors.

The trial continues.