DUBAI // A Frenchman who taped a small camera to the bottom of a paper bag then used it to film up women’s skirts at a mall was sentenced to six months in jail.
H R, a 39-year-old operations manager, was convicted by Dubai Criminal Court of sexual assault against several unidentified women. He denied all charges in court last September, telling judges: “I have never done this and I did not see any of these pictures in my camera – I have never taken such pictures.”
But on May 8 last year the Frenchman was seen by a shop’s supervisor at Mall of the Emirates standing very close to women wearing short skirts.
“I spotted him standing so close to a woman wearing a short skirt then saw him placing a paper bag carefully between the woman’s legs from behind,” said Pakistani supervisor K S, 26.
“I felt it was strange and kept looking. I saw him do the same to another woman standing near the first one and also wearing a skirt.”
The supervisor thought his actions were suspicious so informed a security guard. “The guard then headed to the man and asked him what he was doing,” said K S.
“I saw him as the guard was walking towards him, picking up the bag and taking a small object from its bottom then hiding it in his pocket.
“The guard saw him, too. I heard the guard asking him about the object he hid in his pocket, then saw the man handing the guard a small camera.”
A Dubai Police forensics report said that the camera was found to have recordings of women’s private parts, as well as 23 deleted files of similar recordings and 22 others of an obscene nature, which the defendant allegedly confessed to having recorded.
The report also found 293 deleted recordings of women in public places, some of which were of women’s intimate parts while others were of women walking around.
Prosecutors said the Frenchman confessed during investigations to filming women without their knowledge but he denied the charges in court.
He will be deported after completing the jail sentence.
salamir@thenational.ae
Hidden killer
Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.
The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.
Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.
Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.
Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu.
German intelligence warnings
- 2002: "Hezbollah supporters feared becoming a target of security services because of the effects of [9/11] ... discussions on Hezbollah policy moved from mosques into smaller circles in private homes." Supporters in Germany: 800
- 2013: "Financial and logistical support from Germany for Hezbollah in Lebanon supports the armed struggle against Israel ... Hezbollah supporters in Germany hold back from actions that would gain publicity." Supporters in Germany: 950
- 2023: "It must be reckoned with that Hezbollah will continue to plan terrorist actions outside the Middle East against Israel or Israeli interests." Supporters in Germany: 1,250
Source: Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution
2018 ICC World Twenty20 Asian Western Regional Qualifier
The top three teams progress to the Asia Qualifier
Final: UAE beat Qatar by nine wickets
Third-place play-off: Kuwait beat Saudi Arabia by five runs
Table
1 UAE 5 5 0 10
2 Qatar 5 4 1 8
3 Saudi 5 3 2 6
4 Kuwait 5 2 3 4
5 Bahrain 5 1 4 2
6 Maldives 5 0 5 0
The biog
DOB: March 13, 1987
Place of birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia but lived in Virginia in the US and raised in Lebanon
School: ACS in Lebanon
University: BSA in Graphic Design at the American University of Beirut
MSA in Design Entrepreneurship at the School of Visual Arts in New York City
Nationality: Lebanese
Status: Single
Favourite thing to do: I really enjoy cycling, I was a participant in Cycling for Gaza for the second time this year
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The biog
Name: Gul Raziq
From: Charsadda, Pakistan
Family: Wife and six children
Favourite holes at Al Ghazal: 15 and 8
Golf Handicap: 6
Childhood sport: cricket
