Man attempted to rape tourist in back seat of a car, Dubai court hears

The defendant's friend allegedly stopped the accused from raping the woman

A man attempted to rape a tourist in the back seat of a car, Dubai Criminal Court was told on Tuesday.

The Norwegian tourist, whose age was not disclosed, said she met the defendant, 33, and his friend on December 19 last year at Hard Rock Café in Festival City.

She said after speaking for a while they agreed to go to a club together.

“We had alcohol and I'm sure that one of them put some drug in my drink, because later I didn't feel ok,” the woman told the court.

She said when they left the club and got into the back seat of the car, which belonged to the defendant’s friend, the accused took off his clothes.

“He then jumped on top of me, ripped my clothes off and touched my privates. He tried to rape me but I resisted and his friend intervened and stopped him,” she said.

“After that I just remember that I was very dizzy and sleepy and the friend took me to his place where I slept until the morning.”

Prosecutors said the woman was taken to her hotel the next day where she discovered her iPhone and credit cards were missing so she called the police.

“I arrived at the hotel after she filed a theft report, and narrated what happened with her the previous night, so we started investigating and identified the driver who dropped her back through the hotel’s CCTV footage,” said a policeman, 28.

He said the woman was referred to the criminal laboratory to collect samples from her body and clothes.
The report showed that the man was unsuccessful in his attempt but traces of his DNA were found on the woman's body and clothes.

The report also revealed that the bruises on the woman's body indicated criminal violence had taken place and were consistent with her account of the attempted rape.
The policeman said that when the driver was questioned, he told police about his friend who was then arrested.
In court, the defendant, who carries a Comoros Islands passport, denied a charge of sex assault.
The next hearing is scheduled for December 20.