ABU DHABI // A man accused of molesting young girl has told the Criminal Court that she jumped in his lap because she was scared of a dog.
F, from Bangladesh, said he was sitting with another man in the majlis that belonged to the girl’s family.
“Then she walked in with her brother and when she saw the dog she got scared and jumped in my lap,” he told the court on Tuesday.
“Then I hugged her because she was scared.”
He said whoever accused him of the crime probably misunderstood the hug.
“But the whole incident took less than one minute, it does not make sense to lock me up over this,” he said.
He added that he has been an imam for the neighbourhood mosque for the past eight years.
“I have known this family for many years and I always attend their celebrations and gatherings,” he added.
The verdict will be announced on October 28.
hdajani@thenational.ae
