Police officer raped Japanese tourist, court told

Woman was visiting Hatta and was assaulted by man who offered to give her ride to heritage village, prosecutors say.

DUBAI // A Dubai police officer has been charged with the brutal rape of a tourist in Hatta.

The 24-year-old Japanese woman was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, raped and threatened with death by the 25-year-old Emirati SA, the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance was told. He denied the charges in court today.

Chief Prosecutor Khalid Al Zarooni asked the court to implement the death penalty if SA were convicted.

The officer was arrested after five months of investigation by the Dubai Police, Lt Col Ahmed Al Merri, Director of Criminal Investigations, told prosecutors.

On March 14, six days after the tourist arrived in Dubai, she took a public bus to Hatta, records show.

"I was trying to find the Hatta heritage village and was looking at the map trying to find instructions," she said.

About 1.25pm a black 4x4 with tinted windows arrived and the driver asked whether she was lost. He then offered her a ride to the heritage village.

According to her statement, he instead drove her to a deserted area, where he told her that if she did not have sex with him he would kill her. At that point, he slapped her, punched her and raped her in the front seat of the car.

She said she feared for her life and did not seek help immediately after SA dropped her off at the bus station.

"I had no confidence in anyone and I cannot speak English very well, so I took the bus and travelled back to Dubai," she told prosecutors.

The Dubai Police head of criminal investigations, the head of tourism security and and the chief criminal investigator of Hatta police collected DNA evidence and located all 4x4 car owners in the village, records show.

"SA was arrested after we contacted him numerous times and he refused to appear for questioning. We then convinced him and collected a DNA sample, which matched three samples collected from the victim," Lt Col Al Merri said.

The court will reconvene on December 14.