Man gropes 14-year-old boy at Dubai water park

Dubai - The man pretended to be washing his face when the boy turned around.

A 23-year-old man stood trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on the charge of molesting a 14-year-old boy.

Public prosecution records show that the incident took place on July 26 at a water park. The Emirati man inappropriately touched the boy, also Emirati, after spotting him playing with his other kids. A case was registered at Bur Dubai police station.

The prosecution investigator referred him to trial and has sought a strict penalty for him.

The victim recounted how the defendant kept following them. "I was with my two cousins. He kept following us while we played."

The victim said that the man groped him. "As I turned around, he pretended he was washing his face. I looked at him again and he acted again as if he was just washing his face."

The boy then told his little cousin about the incident after seeing him talking to that man. He then called his mother and aunt, who were also at the park, and told them about the defendant's behavior.

They then called the police.

The boy told the investigators that the man touched him in a bad way and kept following him after that.

The cousin, a 10-year-old, said he saw the accused man following them. "My cousin told me about what the man did to him after seeing him talking to me. I then told the maid to call my mother and aunt. They came right away. That man was still after us when we went to the maid."

During the public prosecution investigation, the accused man claimed he groped the boy by mistake.

A ruling will be heard on October 22.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai