Source: gulfnews.com
by bassam za’za’,
legal and court correspondent
Published: 00:00 July 9, 2012

Dubai: An employee was jailed for one year for kidnapping a woman but was acquitted of trying to rape her in a flat where he locked her.

The Dubai Court of First Instance convicted the 26-year-old Emirati employee, A.J., of kidnapping by force the 40-year-old Filipina woman and locking her in a flat.

However, the court dismissed the charge of attempted rape and cleared A.J. for lack of corroborated evidence.

The defendant was further fined Dh1,000 for consuming liquor.

When the defendant appeared in court, he denied the accusations and claimed he was charged without any legal grounds.

Prosecutors said A.J. kidnapped the woman, C.K., by force and then locked her in the flat where he intended to rape her.

C.K. was said to have resisted and foiled his attempt to rape her before she managed to sneak out of the door from behind A.J. when he opened the door for his friend.

“I have nothing to do with the accusations. The charges are groundless. I have nothing to do with what happened,” argued A.J. when he defended himself.

Records said A.J. pushed C.K. out of the lift of a furnished apartments’ building and dragged her by force to his flat. When he knocked the door, someone opened and he pushed the woman immediately into the main hall.

A.J. disregarded the victim’s cries begging him not to hurt her. He was accused of kidnap and attempted rape after drinking five cups of liquor.

The Filipina testified that the defendant attempted to rape her when she went to visit her friend who lived in the building in Al Qusais.

“I noticed the suspect speaking to the receptionist. I entered the elevator and he walked in behind me… I did not realise that the lift went up to the seventh floor. I waited for him to walk out but suddenly he grabbed my shoulder. He pushed me and then knocked the door of the flat. He forced me to walk inside when someone opened the door. That someone left the flat. When A.J. pushed me, I did not fall but I sat on a chair. I shouted and begged him not to hurt me. He threatened to kill me. Then a woman knocked on the door and when he answered I sneaked out behind his back and went down the stairs,” C.K. claimed.

An Emirati lieutenant testified that the Filipina reported the incident after a week.

Sunday’s judgment remains subject to appeal within 15 days