Flight attendant who tried to rape woman in Dubai has prison sentence reduced

DUBAI // A flight attendant who tried to rape a woman has had his two-year jail term cut to six months.

M H, 27, from Indonesia, who worked for Emirates Airline, invited the woman, 29, to his staff accommodation on October 4 last year to drink vodka.

He became violent when she spurned his romantic advances.

“He started kissing me so I stopped him,” the woman said.

She told him he was a “good, well-mannered” man and should not be doing such a thing, but he grabbed her and carried her to his bedroom before throwing her on the bed and ripping off her shorts.

“I cried and resisted as he tried to rape me,” the woman said.

She reminded him that she was a friend of his girlfriend and kicked him in the chest, which infuriated him.

"He tried to force me into [a sex act] so I cooled down and pretended that I was willing to have sex with him but I needed to go to my apartment and tidy myself up to look better," the woman said.

As soon as he let her go she called three friends to report the attack. Police were contacted and the man was arrested.

At his original trial at the Criminal Court, the attendant denied a charge of attempted rape.

He was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison, plus ordered to pay a temporary compensation of Dh21,000 to the woman in addition to Dh500 in legal fees.

The Appeal Court upheld the compensation payments.

He will be deported after serving his sentence.

salamir@thenational.ae

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