Saturday, Oct 22, 2016

Dubai: A carpenter, who hugged a nine-year-old schoolgirl and molested her outside her parents’ house was sentenced to a year in jail.

The 31-year-old Bangladeshi defendant, J.A., took advantage of the Jordanian girl’s innocence and youth and molested her by hugging her against her will and groping her in April.

Despite his having entered a not guilty plea, the Dubai Court of First Instance convicted him of molesting the minor.

According to the primary ruling, the accused will be deported after serving his punishment.

Records said the accused was doing some maintenance work outside the villa where the girl’s parents lived when he took advantage of her while she was playing and molested her.

The schoolgirl screamed and ran away and told her parents what had happened.

The girl’s mother testified that she received a phone call at 11.30am from her daughter, who told her what had happened.

“I was at a nearby supermarket when she called me. I rushed to our villa and confronted the defendant … he could not answer me and we failed to communicate since he does not speak English or Arabic. I called the police and told them what had happened,” the mother testified.

A policeman testified that J.A. was summoned to the police station where the girl identified him immediately at the line-up three times.

The accused has already appealed the primary judgement and is scheduled to appear before the Appeal Court next month.

By Bassam Zaza Legal and Court Correspondent

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