Dubai: A special team from Dubai Police’s Deer Balak [Take Care] security programme helped a receptionist in identifying a worker, who has been accused of groping her at Downtown Dubai.

The 20-year-old French receptionist was said to have left a coffee shop at 11pm and as she was walking back to her nearby home, a 22-year-old Pakistani worker, came from behind her and groped her in May.

When the Frenchwoman resisted the worker and tried to prevent him from groping her further, according to records, the 22-year-old tried to pull her towards a bushy spot but she released herself and escaped.

Shortly after reporting the matter to Dubai Police, a special team from the Deer Balak security programme was formed and assisted the girl in searching for the assailant to have him apprehended.

Field team investigators visited the spot where the Frenchwoman had been reportedly groped and after checking the surveillance cameras in the surrounding, Deer Balak team extracted photos of the culprit walking behind the woman, said records.

Having received up to six groping complaints from different women in the same vicinity, the special team identified the 22-year-old suspect, who was apprehended near a supermarket a week after the incident.

After identifying him at the police line up three times, the worker was referred to the Public Prosecution.

Prosecutors accused the 22-year-old Pakistani of groping the Frenchwoman.

Prosecutors said the suspect abused the fact that the receptionist was walking alone on the pavement at night before he took her by surprise and groped her.

The suspect pleaded guilty when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Tuesday.

The French woman claimed to prosecutors that she was heading to her house when the incident happened at 11pm at Downtown Dubai area.

“I heard strange footsteps behind me … by the time when I turned around to see, the suspect grabbed me from my neck and then groped my top. He tried to muzzle me in one hand and used the other to grope me. He told me to remain silent and tried to push me towards a bushy area … I pushed him away and resisted. Once I started shouting at him and crying for help, he ran away and disappeared. A group of bystanders walked me to my building and they tried to help me find him,” she testified to prosecutors.

A police officer testified to prosecutors that following the woman’s complaint a special police team from the Deer Balak carried out the investigations and apprehended the suspect.

“We obtained a photos of the suspect’s face from the CCTV cameras. A number of similar molestation complaints had been reported in the vicinity. We studied the culprit’s criminal behaviour and it was discovered that he had preyed on victims who were walking alone to their homes on weekend nights. Following his arrest near a supermarket, the 22-year-old admitted during questioning that he had groped six to seven women.”

Presiding judge Mohammad Jamal will hand out a ruling on July 29.