Salesmen tried to rape student in Dubai flat

Two salesmen are accused of attempting to rape a 16-year-old student after luring her into an apartment where they claimed they were throwing a party.

DUBAI // Two salesmen were accused of attempting to rape a 16-year-old student after luring her into an apartment where they claimed they were throwing a party, a court heard today.

The Dubai Criminal Court was told that FS, 21 and MN, 18, both Iranians, called the Iranian girl on June 4 and invited her to a party at an apartment in Jumeirah towers.

When she arrived in a taxi, the defendants paid the driver and took her up to the flat, where she was surprised to see no other guests. They allegedly told her the guests had yet to arrive.

The three drank tea but the girl, SS, told prosecutors that she noticed empty alcohol bottles on a table.

"I saw two cans of glue that they were inhaling," she said, according in prosecution records. FS walked towards her, then restrained her arms while MN pulled her trousers down and tried to rape her. SS managed to escape and take shelter in the balcony.

"I screamed 'help, help' and the building's security guard heard me and came to the flat," she said.

The girl told prosecutors that the men told her to take off her clothes or they would. MN punched her several times, injuring her head and bruising her lips.

The security guard took the girl out of the flat and notified police.

KM, 32, an Emirati policeman, said he found the defendants drunk in the apartment.

EA, the Egyptian security guard, testified that he heard screams around 12.30am.

"When I went to the apartment and they opened the door for me, she started praising God that the door was opened," he said.

He said the girl looked pale, her hair was a mess and she was barefoot.

The defendants did not enter a plea and will appear again in court on August 5.