DUBAI // A man was handed a life sentence after the Dubai Criminal Court convicted him of kidnapping and raping a 24-year-old on the rear seat of his car.
The court said Emirati M S, 31, asked the Iranian girl, E S, to meet him at the car park of Dragon Mart and then kidnapped and raped her twice on August 2 last year.
M S said he met the woman through a chat website and she asked to meet him.
The victim said she had told M S that she was looking for a job. "He told me he can help me get a job at Dubai Customs as his brother was a manager there and asked me to hand him my CV and passport copy."
She said M S insisted on receiving the documents in person and so they met up at 8pm at the Dragon Mart car park. The girl said he was "really polite" and that she accepted his offer of financial help, insisting that she would repay him.
M S then drove to a side road, pulled over and grabbed E S by the arm. She resisted but the defendant dragged her to the rear seat and raped her.
He then drove her back to Dragon Mart where she hailed a taxi and reported him to police.
"I didn't rape her and did not drive her anywhere. We talked, then left," M S told the court last December.
The verdict is subject to appeal within 15 days.
salamir@thenational.ae