Man gropes 14-year-old boy at Dubai water park, gets 3-month jail

Dubai - When the victim turned towards him, he pretended to wash his face.

A 23-year-old man, accused of molesting a 14-year-old boy, has been sentenced to three months in jail by the Dubai Court of First Instance.

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

The prosecution investigator referred him to trial and has sought a strict penalty against 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 told the prosecutor that the man groped him. "As I turned to him, he pretended he was washing his face. I looked at him again and he acted as if he were 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 behaviour.

They called the police.

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."

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

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

The defendant can appeal the ruling within 15 days from its issuance date.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai