DUBAI // A 46-year-old driver accused of sexually assaulting two children at his home at International City denied the charges, claiming his confession was taken by force, a court heard on Tuesday morning.
Pakistani SA is being charged with abusing a nine-year-old girl and her five-year-old brother.
The father of the children, who is also Pakistani, said that the defendant is his neighbour and his kids often visited his home.
“My relation with SA is weak because I spend long hours at work but the relation between him and his wife with my children and wife is stronger because they meet often,” said ZK, 32, a car showroom manager.
The father added that the defendant’s wife often had his children play at her house because she did not have any kids and the defendant himself would sometimes knock on their door and ask the children to come play at his flat.
On February 1, the defendant called ZK, asking him if he can take the children to play at his flat, and when the father called his wife to give his permission, the nine-year-old cried and refused to go.
“My wife asked her why she didn’t want to go so she told her that SA had been doing bad things to her, and that he would distract her brother with toys and take her to the bedroom, where he sexually assaults her,” said the father.
He added that his daughter could not remember exactly the first time she was molested by her neighbour but she said it has happened many times for almost two years and she was too scared to say anything after he threatened her.
A police investigation found that the girl’s younger brother also claimed to have been subjected to abuse from SA.
Police set up a meeting between the father and the defendant near their building as officers watched.
During the conversation, the father was crying and the defendant was heard to apologise for his actions, police said. He was arrested during the meeting.
Prosecutors said the neighbour confessed during interrogations but at Dubai Criminal Court he denied this, claiming his confession was forced out of him.
The next hearing is on March 30.
salamir@thenational.ae
