Brothers must see out jail sentence for sexually assaulting two women, Dubai court rules

DUBAI // Two brothers convicted of sexually assaulting two women and sentenced to three months in jail each must see out their prison terms, the Dubai Court of Appeal has ruled.

The Emiratis were initially accused of kidnapping two women and two men from their home before assaulting the men and raping the women. A friend of the brothers, who holds a Comoros Islands passport, was charged with aiding and abetting.

The Dubai Criminal Court convicted the siblings, aged 27 and 34, of sexual assault and sentenced them to three months in jail each. Both were acquitted of the kidnap and physical assault charges. Their 19-year-old friend was found not guilty.

Prosecutors said that on April 20 last year the three men entered a flat in Bur Dubai claiming to be police officers.

They ordered the two Sri Lankan women and two Sri Lankan men who were in the apartment to get into a car, telling them they were being taken to a police station for absconding from their sponsors.

Records stated that the two men, aged 26, and 38, were assaulted before being kicked out of the car, which then drove off with the two women.

The women, aged 40 and 26, testified that the brothers removed the car’s number plate number before taking them to a villa in Al Qouz.

The 40-year-old claimed that after she was raped by one of the brothers, one of men stole her necklace.

The second woman told prosecutors that she was raped twice by one of the brothers and once by his sibling.

In court, the brothers and their friend denied all charges. The brothers said the sex was consensual.

Forensic examinations proved the women had recent sexual activities but no evidence of rape was found.