Man accused of raping mentally ill woman he befriended on Instagram

Case brought to court after woman disclosed alleged attack to doctor

A man raped a mentally ill woman at a five-star hotel in Dubai after befriending her on Instagram, a court was told.

The 32-year-old Pakistani carried out the attack during an arranged meeting at a room in the Palazzo Versace Hotel, Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The alleged offence only came to light after the 38-year-old Emirati woman confided in a doctor, who urged her to contact police.

The pair met weeks after striking up a friendship on social media, with the defendant pretending that he was an Emirati from Ras Al Khaimah.

On September 19 last year, they set up a meet at the hotel after he allegedly told her he didn’t want to see in her public in fear for her reputation.

But the woman said the defendant dragged her to bed, stripped her naked and raped her during the encounter.

“I was not aware of what I was doing because I had stopped my medication,” she told prosecutors.

Following the incident, she started suffering from hallucinations, court records stated.

"I could see scary things and hear voices," said the woman, who was taken by her family to a private clinic for treatment.

Her doctor advised her to contact police when she told of her ordeal.

A medical report from Rashid hospital stated that the woman had been a frequent patient at several public and private hospitals for treatment for bipolar disorder and manic depression.

The Pakistani accused was later arrested before being brought to court.

He denied a rape charge at Dubai Criminal Court.

A verdict is expected on January 28.