DUBAI // A driver has denied raping a maid while taking her for their sponsor’s grocery shopping, a court heard on Wednesday.
Pakistani AD, 28, said at Dubai Criminal Court that the sex with the Filipina was consensual.
Prosecutors said that on October 22 last year, the maid was sent to buy groceries from the cooperative union, where the driver takes her every time.
“On other times while driving me there he would tell me I am beautiful and I told him not to say that,” said the maid.
She testified that, on this occasion, the driver changed his direction and instead headed to a sandy area near Al Ittihad school, in Al Mamzar.
“He stopped the car and locked it then jumped into the back seat where I was sitting then asked to have sex with me,” the maid added.
“I refused and jumped to the front seat — I was so confused that I didn’t even think of unlocking the car and running out of it.”
She claimed that he then lured her to the back seat again, where he raped her.
“I was screaming and banging on the windows; he would gag me to stop me from screaming. I also had a pen in my hand and I used it to hit him on several parts of his body but it was too dark, I didn’t see anything,” said the maid.
Afterwards, AD was said to have taken her to the supermarket, where she called her sponsor and told her what happened. The sponsor called police, who arrested the driver on the spot.
The next hearing will be on February 20.
salamir@thenational.ae
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The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Funchal via Lisbon, with a connecting flight with Air Portugal. Economy class returns cost from Dh3,845 return including taxes.
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The WalkMe app can be downloaded from the usual sources. If you don’t fancy doing the trip yourself, then Explore offers an eight-day levada trails tour from Dh3,050, not including flights.
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Date started: 2015
Founder: John Tsioris and Ioanna Angelidaki
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Sector: Online grocery delivery
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Funding: Undisclosed, but investors include the Jabbar Internet Group and Venture Friends
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Rating: 3.5 /5