Cabbie arrested for allegedly raping tourist who could not pay

DUBAI // A taxi driver was arrested for allegedly raping a tourist who could not pay her fare, a police source said yesterday. The incident is alleged to have happened after the 49-year-old driver took the woman home from a nightclub early on Friday. The woman, of an undisclosed age, was under the influence of alcohol when the attack occurred, said the source.

She was said to have left a nightclub in Bur Dubai at around 3.30am, directing the driver to her home in the Arabian Ranches area. Once they arrived, the woman realised that she did not have money for the taxi, said the source. The woman told Dubai Police that the driver suggested she could pay him with sex instead. She said he then quickly jumped in the back seat and assaulted her. The woman told police that the man then threw her out of the car and drove off.

However, when he was questioned the driver told police that the woman had offered to pay him for the fare with sex instead of money. He claimed that the woman did not show any resistance to his advances. The case has been referred to the public prosecution for further investigation. [e-mail]