Abu Dhabi - The 33-year-old man had been given the death sentence for murder and rape.
Published: Wed 7 Mar 2018, 4:56 PM
Updated: Thu 8 Mar 2018, 9:29 PM
An Abu Dhabi court will pronounce its verdict on April 17 in the case of a Pakistani man who strangled an 11-year-old boy to death after raping him on the rooftop of their building.
In November last year, the 33-year-old man was sentenced to death after he was found guilty of murder, rape and a number of other charges. But he challenged the ruling at the Abu Dhabi Appeals Court.
During the latest hearing on Wednesday, the Pakistani denied the charges and claimed that he was wrongly convicted. The lawyer representing him told the court that the man was innocent and claimed the prosecutors had not presented "sufficient evidence" to convict his client.
The Pakistani boy - identified as Azan Majid - was reported missing on June 1, 2017, after he went to a nearby mosque to pray. His body was found the next day on the rooftop of the building on the Muroor Road where he was staying with his father and stepmother.
Court records stated that the boy was sexually abused and strangled to death with a rope by the Pakistani national, who is also related to the child.
The police revealed that the man cross-dressed to carry out the attacks on the child, after luring him into going with him to the rooftop of the building.
Case background
The judge, stated during the hearing: "The defendant admitted in his confession to Prosecutor Amer Al Ameri that the child had entered the country nearly two years ago, Emarat Al Youm reported.
"The man began having inappropriate feelings towards the child almost four months prior to committing the crime. He would constantly come to their home and kiss him, claiming that the child was close to his heart.
Nearly 12 days before the crime, he stole the key to the building's rooftop.
"He made a copy of the key for Dh10 and then bought the abaya, black gloves, and balloons he intended to use for the heinous act.
"The crime happened on May 30, 2017 after the suspect drove a car to the child's building. He had removed the rear number plate.
He waited for the child to leave for Asr prayers before boarding the elevator.
"Holding a Qur'an in his right hand, Azan recognised the suspect after he removed the veil once he was in the elevator.
"He then lured the child to the building's rooftop, near the air conditioner system.
"He took the Qur'an from the child, told him he wanted to sodomise him and took out some items that he used to rape the child and then strangle him," the judge said as he recounted the incident in court.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com
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