Shop owner loses appeal over sexual assault of employee who asked for leave

Member of staff was told there was a 'price' for granting her time off for baby's birthday

A Dubai shop owner will have to see out a three-month sentence for sexually assaulting an employee who asked for leave after losing his appeal.

The businessman, 25, requested to meet his employee outside the shop where they both worked in Al Qusais.
"I thought he wanted to see me for work-related issues, maybe he had goods he wanted me to help carry because he asked to see me in his car at the car park outside the shop," said the woman, 21, from the Philippines.
On May 11, at around 7pm, the woman headed to the car park and he asked her to get into his car.
She said the man discussed a drop in sales at the shop first and then she asked him for leave for the following day as it was her baby's birthday. 
The man locked the car door and told her that there would be a 'price' for her leave request and started touching her.
He pulled her hair back and forcefully kissed her neck and face. He tried to unbutton her shirt but she pushed him away.
"He kept touching me. I screamed at him and he said that if I told anyone about it, he would fire me. He then unlocked the car and let me go," said the woman.
The woman's sister and her roommate advised her to lodge a complaint against the man with the police.
The defendant denied a charge of sexual assault at Dubai Criminal Court, but was convicted and sentenced to three months in jail to be followed by deportation.

His sentence was upheld by the appeals court.