Salesman in Dubai ‘groped teenage girl shopping for school stationery’

The salesman allegedly touched the 16-year-old twice in 15 minutes.

DUBAI // A salesman groped a teenage schoolgirl twice as she shopped for stationery, a court was told on Tuesday.

The Indian, 41, touched the 16-year-old twice in five minutes as she was picking up paper and pencils for school at a shop in Bur Dubai in December, the court heard.

The Indian pupil said the salesman had bumped into her in the aisle.

“He placed his hands on my breasts,” she said. “I thought it was by mistake and he apologised while smiling at me and said sorry before leaving the aisle.”

The girl brushed the incident aside and continued shopping before the salesman reappeared in front of her 15 minutes later.

“He stopped, looked at me and put his hands on my breasts again for three seconds,” she said. “He smiled again and said sorry before he left the store,” said the girl, who followed him.

“I was really angry. I confronted him and said ‘you don’t have a right to touch a woman like this’, and I told him that I would report him to police.”

Her father, 47, said: “She came back home angry about 7pm and told me what happened. I filed a report at the police station.”

At Dubai Criminal Court on Tuesday, the salesman denied a charge of molestation.

“It was a narrow aisle, and I bumped into the girl by mistake,” he said.

A verdict is expected on May 28.