Two men rape woman at knifepoint during house robbery in Dubai, get jail terms

The incident took place at a shared house on May 6, last year, in Al Muraqqabat.

A 24-year-old Emirati man and a Pakistani runaway, accused of raping a Pakistani woman after barging into the house she shared with others for robbery, were convicted by a Dubai court on Monday.
The Court of First Instance earlier heard how the two men raped the victim at knifepoint and stole Dh15,970 in cash, two baby gold necklaces, and nine mobile phones belonging to her and eight other flat mates. They threatened them with knives.
The incident took place at a shared house on May 6, last year, in Al Muraqqabat.
The defendants, who include five Emiratis and four Pakistanis and are aged between 20 and 37, were found guilty of robbery. Each of the nine was sentenced to three years in jail. The duo involved in rape each received a six-year imprisonment term.
The runaway was tried in absentia.
The woman, who was raped, is a 34-year-old Pakistani accountant. She said she lived in a two-storey house comprising nine rooms, in Al Waheeda area.
She recounted: "At 1:30pm that day, the husband of my cousin was with me when seven men barged in and stole belongings from me and others. They also raped me. My relative was visiting me to lend me Dh1,000," she told the prosecutor.
"All of the intruders were holding knives and three of them were covering their faces. None of us put up any struggle because they brandished knives."
She recounted that one of them slapped her after she refused to enter the bathroom. Later, she was raped there by two of them.
The women, who were then in a state pf panic and shock, used the mobile phone of a man outside the house to call the police.
The victim added that she heard from the other women they were only sexually harassed but not raped.
A 21-year-old Pakistani woman said she was with her husband when the raid by thieves took place.
mary@khaleejtimes.com