Breast-grabbing incident lands in court

Man denies molesting woman as she stepped out of an elevator in Discovery Gardens.

Salam al Amir

DUBAI // A man accused of touching a woman’s breast as she was leaving a lift denied the sexual-assault charge in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance yesterday.

The 21-year-old Sri Lankan woman S L told prosecutors that in the early afternoon on a day last November, she was leaving her sister’s flat in Discovery Gardens in Jebil Ali with her nephew. Prosecutors said the woman and her nephew saw the suspect, A A, 33, an Egyptian carpenter, as they walked into the lift.

A A struck up a conversation with S L, asking her about her origins and wondering if she was from India, records show. S L said she was from Sri Lanka, and tried to end the conversation, but A A continued talking to her, records show.

As she was stepping out of the lift, she said, A A walked close to her, grabbed her right breast, and walked away, according to prosecutors.

According to the woman’s statement, A A returned and apologised, but S Lreturned to her relative’s flat and called her husband.

The husband, L F, arrived at the sister’s flat,and took his wife to look for the suspect, whom they found living on the fourth floor. The husband asked him about the incident and he tried to apologise, but the couple insisted on pressing charges.

The next hearing has been scheduled for February 27 for defence arguments.