Maid 'thwarts rape attempt'

A maid escaped a would-be rapist by biting her attacker's arm after he broke into the villa she worked in, hears court.

DUBAI // A maid escaped a would-be rapist by biting his arm after he broke into the villa she worked in, the Dubai Criminal Court heard today.

The 25-year-old Filipina maid told prosecutors she found FH, a 30-year-old from India, in the laundry room of the villa after he broke in on the morning of March 22. She fled to her room next door but the man - who had previously been employed to carry out maintenance work at the house - followed her and closed the door behind him. He then started hugging and kissing her. She resisted and tried to call her employer's wife for help, but he snatched the phone and grabbed her from behind before removing her trousers and underwear.

He then tried to wrestle her to the floor, but she bit his arm and ran out of the room before locking him inside and going in search of help. The maid's employer then reported the incident to police, but the man managed to escape from the room's window.

The maid said this was not the first time the man had harassed her. She said he had been carrying out some maintenance work at the house on an earlier date when he came to her room pretending he needed the phone number of her employer. She said on that occasion he also tried to kiss her and have sex with her. She said that on that occasion she told her employer's wife and she advised her to avoid the man.

The man was charged with attempted rape and violating the privacy of a home.

He denied the charges and said the maid gave him permission to enter the villa. He did not explain his reason for being there.

The case was adjourned to July 1.