Man faces trial for molesting 6-yr-old outside musallah in Dubai

Dubai - The cleaner claimed he was just playing with the kid and that he loved children.

A 47-year-old cleaner stood trial in court after he allegedly molested a 6-year-old boy on a musallah premises.

Public prosecution records show the Indian man inappropriately touched the little boy twice when he found him waiting with his brother for their father to finish his prayer.

He denied the charge in the Court of First Instance.

During interrogation, the cleaner claimed he was just playing with the kid and that he loved children.

The incident was reported to Bur Dubai police station on December 8, 2017.

The boy's father, a 44-year-old Egyptian engineer, said: "I went with my sons for Friday prayer. When I walked out of the mosque, I saw a man touching my son in a bad way. I approached him and asked him about what he did. He said he was only playing with him. I scolded him and told him to leave immediately."

The father added: "However, at home, my son told his mother that the accused had also touched him inappropriately another time but he was too scared to tell me."

A policeman, who caught and interrogated the cleaner, said he denied the father's accusations. "The cleaner said he met the boy and talked to him about his age and school. The boy's father then came and asked him about the reason he was standing with his son and told him to leave," the officer said.

The boy's brother testified during investigation that the defendant grabbed the victim by his waist and touched him and stopped when their father came and shouted at him to leave.

The boy's ID copy, which was enclosed to the case, showed he was born in July 2011.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai