Man on trial for touching woman's shoulder, insulting her in Dubai

Dubai - "These are the people (my wife) hangs out with," the man allegedly said in the video.

An Emirati man allegedly molested a woman by touching her shoulder and insulting her on video, the Dubai Court of First Instance heard on Sunday.

The 49-year-old defendant confronted the 37-year-old Moroccan woman at a parking lot in the Mirdif area while she was walking towards her car with the former's wife.

The court heard that he touched her shoulder for a few seconds, while holding his phone to film her and insulted her saying: "These are the people (my wife) hangs out with."

The other woman, a 29-year-old Yemeni, had told prosecutors that the man was her husband and that they were having marital problems. When the Moroccan woman threatened to call the police, the man said he would delete the video.

Later, both the women headed to Al Rashidiya police station and reported the incident. The complainant told the police she felt "offended in a public place".

The accused, however, denied the charges in court and told the judge: "God forbid, I did not touch her shoulder."

When the judge asked him about the statement he made on video, he said: "I was talking to my wife."

His wife, who also showed up in court as a witness, said she wished to retract her complaint along with the complainant. "I am his wife, and the complainant and I take back our accusations," she told the judge.

The judge ordered the defendant to appear in court to retract her accusations.

The defendant is being tried for molestation, invasion of privacy and insult. The case has been adjourned to January 14.

sherouk@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai