Dubai: A visitor has been accused of following a housewife to an elevator and molesting her by hugging her after she had left Starbucks, heard a court on Sunday.
The 36-year-old housewife was said to have bought herself a coffee from Starbucks at a residential tower at Dubai Downtown and walked towards the escalator in February 2017.
As the housewife was standing at the top of the escalator wanting to head down to the parking lot, a 33-year-old Saudi visitor came and stood behind her, according to records. Then he grabbed her by her waist glued his body to hers, groped her bottom and quickly escaped from the scene.
The woman immediately called the police. The 33-year-old Saudi was apprehended in April 2018 and referred to the Public Prosecution.
Prosecutors charged the Saudi suspect with molesting and breaching the modesty of the housewife, who is from Comoros Islands.
“That did not happen … I did not touch her,” the suspect told the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday.
Presiding judge Shaikha Hamad said the suspect will appoint a lawyer to defend him when the court reconvenes on July 15.
The 36-year-old woman told prosecutors that the suspect molested her once she left Starbucks and headed to the escalator wanting to go to her car at 2.30pm.
A police corporal testified to prosecutor: “A police patrol was dispatched to Dubai Downtown … the claimant alleged that once she was atop the escalator, the suspect glued his body to hers and touched her indecently. He ran away once she yelled at him.”
