DUBAI // A jobless man gave a 13-year-old boy money to play games at The Dubai Mall before he lured him into his car to sexually assault him, prosecutors said on Monday.
Dubai Criminal Court was told that Emirati MA, 37, saw Algerian boy RA on May 1 last year at a games area trying to recharge his swipe card but the boy did not have enough money.
“He gave me money and I returned it to him but he insisted then I went inside and started playing,” said the boy, adding that when he was finished playing he took a seat near the cinema to wait for his mother and aunt, who had brought him to the mall.
RA said the defendant sat next to him then started talking about his life, house and car before he allegedly lured the boy to his car after inviting him to see it from inside.
“We took the front seats then he locked the doors and told me he wanted to massage my back, saying he was an expert,” said the boy. “I said no so he dragged me to the back seat, injuring my hand in the process. I was so scared.”
The school pupil told prosecutors that as the defendant started massaging his back, the boy’s phone rang and then he managed to unlock the door and jump out. “I answered and said ‘mama, mama’ so he did not come after me,” said RA.
His 50-year-old mother said in her testimony that her son’s voice was nervous and scared when she called him that day. “I left him at The Dubai Mall’s playground but called him several times and he did not pick up until that minute, when he screamed ‘mama, mama’, and when I saw him he was sweating and breathing heavily,” said SM.
She added that her son told her he was about to get raped. She reported the incident to police, who identified the attacker through his car’s number plate from CCTV footage.
“He denied when confronted with the accusations,” said police officer AMA, 24.
Police said that MA has a record of similar offences.
“I am a married man, I swear in the name of Allah that I never committed the crime,” said the defendant in court on Monday morning as he denied an attempted sexual assault charge. He added that he did not force the boy into his car.
A verdict will be issued on February 15.
salamir@thenational.ae
