Guard jailed for molesting cleaner at a Dubai park

He denied in court the charges of molestation and entering a women's place.

A security guard was on Wednesday sentenced to three months' in jail and deportation for groping a woman cleaner in a park.
However, he was cleared of the charge of entering women's toilets and sexually harassing the cleaner.
The Court of First Instance was told that the 28-year-old Egyptian man entered the toilets of a park in Al Warqa, where he worked, and even tried to barge into the cubicle where the Nepali woman cleaner was. He also allegedly grabbed her by her shoulder.
The guard had groped the woman earlier the same day.
He denied in court the charges of molestation and entering a women's place. He claimed that he was only doing his job of following up on the cleaning work.
The incident happened on August 30 and a complaint was filed at Al Rashidiya police station.
The cleaner, 27, said she arrived at the park at around 7am and was going about her cleaning duties when she noticed the accused following her. She claimed that he groped her, grabbed her by her shoulder and then tried to initiate a conversation with her by asking about her salary. "I was in the toilet at noon when he knocked on the door and suddenly opened the door with his own key and tried to barge inside but I pushed him."
He could not stop her from leaving the washroom. She sought the help of someone and later called the police. The guard was arrested at the place later.
The complainant's Egyptian supervisor said he learned from her that the guard hit on her as she was in the toilets.
The witness went there and found the police already there. "I went there and spoke to the accused at the gate but he claimed that he was only carrying out his duty. I had to go to the park again later after a local man called me saying he spotted the cleaner crying. She had told the man that the guard attacked her in the washroom."
The guard can appeal the ruling within 15 days.
mary@khaleejtimes.com