Man denies sex attack on 9-year-old girl in Dubai

Pakistani man accused of using cats to lure Indian girl to a quiet area.

DUBAI // A barber has denied sexually assaulting a young girl more than once, using cats to lure her into a quiet location.

Prosecutors said the Pakistani defendant, 30, abused the girl, 9, on May 11 last year and later times after seeing her playing with a cat near her home in Deira.

The Indian girl told investigators that the barber held her hand and told her he was taking her to a place where there were many cats.

“He took me to an under-construction place where there were cats and he was still holding my hand,” she said.

She said he touched her while she was watching the cats but let her go when her brother, who was playing in the neighbourhood, arrived.

The girl said that three days later, she was outside playing with other children when the man approached and hugged her.

“Then he disappeared for a while and was not seen in the area,” said the girl, who told her mother.

A few days later her mother saw him standing opposite her building and called police, who arrested him.

Prosecutors said the man told them he had seen the girl but denied molesting her. He also denied a sexual assault charge in court and asked to be acquitted.

A verdict is expected this month.