Tourist fails to enter plea against sex charge

Dubai: An Austrian tourist, who has been charged with having consensual sex with a Yemeni banker, failed to show up in court on Thursday as she is out of town.

Prosecutors have accused the 26-year-old Austrian woman, I.F., of getting drunk and having sex with the 27-year-old Yemeni banker, A.J., in December.

“I am not guilty. I did not have sex with her,” the man said when he entered a not guilty plea at the Dubai Misdemeanours Court.

A.J. also asked presiding judge Wajdi Al Menyawi to adjourn the case as he plans to hire a lawyer to defend him.

Meanwhile, the woman’s lawyer Mohammad Al Reda informed presiding judge Al Menyawi that his client could not show up in court because she is out of town.

Prosecution records said the Austrian woman was with her female Russian friend when they met up with the man and his friend at a pub in a hotel.

A.J. claimed that I.F. drank alcohol and danced, according to his prosecution statement, then when he offered to have paid sex with her, she demanded Dh1,200 for a full night.

“We left the pub and headed to my car at around 4am and I was supposed to book a hotel room to spend the night with her. Shortly before I moved the car, she initiated the sexual interaction. She undressed on her own and during the intercourse her phone rang. She answered the call and suddenly told me that something urgent happened and she needed to leave. She dressed up and I gave her Dh500 because we didn’t complete what we were doing. I drove away and went to my home in Sharjah,” the man told prosecutors.

The night before the incident I.F. said she met A.J. in a different pub on Shaikh Zayed Road, according to her prosecution statement.

“I had seen him the previous night and he was constantly looking at me. I do not remember my Russian friend’s name, but we joined A.J. at his table. He told me that he admired my appearance and wanted to sleep with me. I jumped into the backseat and we had consensual sex. I do not remember if he completed what he was doing. I was in a bad mood because I did not feel like having sex with someone other than my Lebanese boyfriend. So I asked the suspect to stop and leave me alone. When I left his vehicle, a group of people saw me and called the police who came and arrested me,” the Austrian told prosecutors.

Meanwhile, the woman was cited are alleging in her police statement that the man forced her to have sex with him and she could not resist because he immobilised her in the backseat.

“The court reconvenes on March 6 until I.F. shows up and A.J. hires a lawyer,” said presiding judge Al Menyawi.