Woman goes to mall with kids in Dubai, gets groped by expat

Dubai - He will be deported once he serves his sentence.

A Dubai expat was sentenced to three months in jail on Monday for inappropriately touching a woman at a mall.

According to Dubai public prosecution, the 33-year-old Indian resident groped the woman intentionally.

The defendant was found guilty of sexual harassment and will be deported after serving his time in jail.

The incident took place on August 2 last year and was reported at Al Rashidiya police station.

The complainant, a 35-year-old Syrian employee, said she was with her children and mother at the shopping centre at 10.30am to buy some toys when she spotted the accused looking at her in a provocative way. "I got real scared of how he kept staring at my body."

She got surprised when he walked very close to her near the toy store while still staring at her from behind. "I shouted at him angrily after he suddenly groped me. I was then wearing a dress but it was decent," she recounted.

Shoppers crowded around them and the police arrived and apprehended the accused.

The complainant told the investigator that the defendant touched her on purpose as it was around 10am and the mall was not yet busy.

A footage taken from the security recordings showing the defendant touching the woman and then quarreling with her has been attached to the case file by the prosecution investigator.

The defendant admitted to the charge during the police interrogation and the public prosecution investigation.

The accused can appeal the court ruling within 15 days.

mary@khaleejtimes.com