DUBAI // A bus driver who tried to rape a passenger at knifepoint chose the wrong victim, a court heard yesterday.
The female sailor knocked a knife from her attacker's grasp, broke it in two, bit his hand, wrestled him to the ground and put him in a stranglehold between her thighs.
Having beaten him into submission, she left the bus and reported the incident to her boss.
Prosecutors told the Criminal Court the sailor, 28, was on 24-hour shore leave on January 19 this year when the attack happened.
After visits to Mall of the Emirates and a supermarket, she decided to head back to Khalid Port and was trying to hail a taxi when the bus stopped beside her.
She climbed aboard and sat in the back seat but became suspicious of the route the driver was taking.
"I noticed he did not take the main road and when I asked him he told me not to worry," she said.
About 10 minutes later, the driver pulled up in an area where a number of other buses had parked, sat next to her and tried to kiss her, prosecutors say.
When she pushed him away he pulled a knife and told her he was going to rape her, and that she must do as he said. Police arrested the driver the next day at his home.
"He was drunk at the time of arrest," said the attending officer.
The driver, K?S, 21, from Pakistan, was charged with attempted rape, threatening to kill, assault and consuming alcohol illegally.
He confessed only to the alcohol charge and said he was too drunk on the night to remember what else happened.
The court ordered he be examined to determine his age after he failed to provide the court with a birth certificate.
Tests found traces of the sailor's blood and hair on the bus.
The case was adjourned to May 1.
salamir@thenational.ae
*This story has been updated to reflect a correction. In an earlier version, we identified the victim as a US Navy officer due to an error in translation. The victim was in no way connected to the US Navy. She was on shoreleave from a merchant vessel.
Bharatanatyam
A ancient classical dance from the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Intricate footwork and expressions are used to denote spiritual stories and ideas.
'Worse than a prison sentence'
Marie Byrne, a counsellor who volunteers at the UAE government's mental health crisis helpline, said the ordeal the crew had been through would take time to overcome.
“It was worse than a prison sentence, where at least someone can deal with a set amount of time incarcerated," she said.
“They were living in perpetual mystery as to how their futures would pan out, and what that would be.
“Because of coronavirus, the world is very different now to the one they left, that will also have an impact.
“It will not fully register until they are on dry land. Some have not seen their young children grow up while others will have to rebuild relationships.
“It will be a challenge mentally, and to find other work to support their families as they have been out of circulation for so long. Hopefully they will get the care they need when they get home.”
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Author: Shalash
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MATCH INFO
Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Namibia beat Oman by 52 runs
UAE beat Namibia by eight wickets
UAE v Oman - abandoned
Oman v Namibia - abandoned
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