Court told of disabled woman's rape

Man accused of raping a mentally disabled woman said they were in a relationship for months prior to the incident.

ABU DHABI // A man tricked a mentally disabled woman into getting into his car before taking her to the roof of an abandoned villa and raping her, the Criminal Court heard last week.

Prosecutors said the 22-year-old was throwing out rubbish outside her house when the man drove up in his car and asked her to get in. He then took her to a car park and asked her to have sex with him, but she refused. He then drove on to the villa, where he knocked her to the floor before raping her.

He later dropped her back at her house and threatened to kill her if she told anyone what happened.

The woman's sister noticed she was looked tired and asked her whether something was bothering her. The woman then told her about the rape, and they reported the matter to police.

Officers believe the man had been cruising the woman's neighbourhood for some time.

In court, the man denied rape, claiming he had been in a relationship for more than six months. However, prosecutors said that police investigated this claim and found it to be false.

A psychiatrist told the court that the woman had a congenital mental disability. "But she can differentiate between right and wrong, her mother taught her ... what should be done and what shouldn't," said the expert.

The case was adjourned until October 17.