Teenagers who raped 14-year-old released on bail

Sharjah - The boys have also circulated the video clip. They have spent three months in jail.

The Sharjah Sharia Court of First Instance released four boys, who allegedly raped a 14-year-old boy, on bail on Monday.
For teenaged boys allegedly assaulted and raped the 14-year-old and filmed the act, a Sharjah court has heard.
The boys have also circulated the video clip. They have spent three months in jail. The first suspect, O.O., allegedly raped the boy, as S.Y. and I.T. held him down.
The fourth suspect, M.Kh., filmed the act on his mobile phone and circulated the clip.
The victim is an American citizen of Arab origin. The victim's father reported the incident to the police on April 24 this year.
He complained that the four teenagers assaulted and raped his son on the staircase of a residential building in Al Majaz area.
He said the defendants threatened his son with a knife before raping him. They reportedly "tortured" him for three hours.
The father came to know about the incident only after the victim's friend in the US happened to see the assault video and informed him.
The first defendant reportedly told the others that he wanted to punish the victim because he was chatting with his sister's friend on WhatsApp.
During the court hearing, the defendants admitted to assaulting him, but denied the rape charge.
The defendant accused of filming the act admitted to filming only the assault, not the rape.
M.Kh.'s mother told Khaleej Times that her son filmed the act, but "did not know it was a crime".
The presiding judge, Hussein Al Ousofi, adjourned the case to November 22.
amira@khaleejtimes.com

• Sharjah