A Dubai shop boss sexually assaulted his female employee - telling her it was the 'price' to pay for requesting leave for her baby's birthday, a court heard.
The 25-year-old businessman had arranged to meet the woman, 21, to discuss a work issue on May 11 of his year.
But when she requested time off work during the encounter in his car, he locked the doors and sexually assaulted her, warning she would be fired if she spoke out, Dubai Criminal Court was told.
Prosecutors said the complainant, from the Philippines, worked at the defendant’s shop in the Al Qusais area of Dubai.
"I thought he wanted to see me for work related issues, maybe that he had goods he wanted me to help carry because he said he wanted to see me in his car at the car park outside the shop," said the woman.
At around 7pm, the woman headed to the car park after informing him that she was coming, when she arrived, he asked her to get into his car.
She said the man discussed a drop in sales then talked about options to increase sales at the shop.
"The talk was over, so before I left, I decided to ask him for leave the next day because it was my baby's birthday," she said.
Following her request, the man is said to have locked the car's door, and told her that there was a price for her leave request before he allegedly started touching her.
Records said that he pulled her hair to the back and forcefully kissed her neck and face as he tried to unbutton her shirt.
"I pushed him repeatedly as he kept touching me, I screamed at him and he said that if I told anyone about it, he would fire me, he then unlocked the car and let me go," said the woman.
After talking to her sister and roommate, who both advised her to lodge a complaint, the woman reported her boss to police.
The defendant denies a charge of sexual assault.
The verdict is expected on July 17.