Man accused of groping tourist in Dubai hotel lift

A man has gone on trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance for allegedly sexually harassing a female compatriot at a hotel.
According to public prosecution records, the 27-year-old Saudi man, on a visit visa, groped the woman, who is also Saudi, and touched her hand as she walked out of a lift at the hotel and while her husband was away. He denied the charge at court claiming it was not intentional.
A complaint was filed on June 22 at Al Barsha police station.
A surveillance camera installed inside the lift at the hotel captured the incident at 8:30 am. The footage, which was checked by the experts from the general directorate of criminal evidence and criminology, showed a woman entering the lift and a man following her. At the time she was walking out of the lift, the same man groped her and touched her hand.
The complainant, a 34-year-old tourist, told the prosecutor that at 8:00am she went down to a restaurant at the hotel, where she stayed, to have breakfast.
"When I returned to my room, I spotted the defendant sitting in the lobby. He followed me later inside the lift. As I was about to walk out, he groped me and touched my back."
She recounted how the defendant ran away when he heard her calling her husband.
A ruling will be pronounced on October 16.                                
mary@khaleejtimes.com
 

• Dubai