Dubai: A tourist guide has been accused of raping his flatmate twice within two days and attempting to rape her a third time before she escaped and called the police.

The 20-year-old Chinese woman was said to be living with her two countrywomen and a 25-year-old Chinese tourist guide, who lived in a separate cubicle in the same flat at the China Cluster of Dubai International City.

It was the woman’s day off and her two countrywomen had left for work when the 25-year-old got on to her bed and raped her for the first time in October.

When the two friends returned, the 20-year-old told them what had happened and she was advised not to report the matter to the police because the guide could be a member of a Chinese gang that could hurt her.

Two days later, the man walked in on the woman, who was again sleeping, and allegedly raped her again. The woman was scared to report it to the police the second time as well.

The third time happened towards the end of the month when the man attempted to undress and rape her while she was heading to the balcony.

The woman pushed him away and ran out of the flat and called the police. Police apprehended the 25-year-old man soon after.

Prosecutors accused the suspect of raping his countrywoman and attempting to rape her using physical violence.

The suspect pleaded not guilty when he showed up before the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.

The defendant was seen weeping when he contended before presiding judge Mohammad Jamal that he did not rape the claimant.

The 20-year-old woman told prosecutors that the first time the suspect took her by surprise and raped her around 8.30am, she was sleeping. “When I notified my flatmates about what had happened, they warned me that the suspect could be a member of a Chinese gang and hurt me if I reported him to the police. Two days later, I was sleeping and the suspect raped me the second time around 9.30am … I could not resist him because he was physically stronger than me. I shouted for help but nobody heard me. Again, I was afraid to report the matter to the police. However, the third time he tried to rape me, I pushed him away and ran out of the flat … then I called the police,” she testified to prosecutors.

A police sergeant told prosecutors that the suspect was apprehended at the entrance of the building where he stayed.

“During questioning, he denied raping the woman and claimed that she was his girlfriend and was having consensual sex with her,” he testified to prosecutors.

Presiding judge Jamal said the court will appoint a lawyer to defend the suspect when it reconvenes on March 6.