Policeman accused of raping 13-year-old girl in his car

DUBAI // A police officer raped a 13-year-old Emirati girl after meeting her through a mutual acquaintance and luring her into his personal car, a court heard yesterday.

The officer has denied the charges, both during public prosecution investigations and in the Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance yesterday.

The girl's mother, HA, told prosecutors that she accompanied her daughter on a visit to a family friend. On their visit, girls from that family asked HA's permission to allow her daughter to spend a few nights with them, which she granted.

During the stay, the 13-year-old and two of the host family's daughters went to a hair salon. One of the girls sent a text message to the officer, AH, 21, telling him where they were.

AH called the girls when he pulled up outside the salon in his car and asked them to go out with him, the court was told. When the 13-year-old refused, AH threatened to come in and forcibly remove her from the salon and inform her parents that she had done something wrong.

She said she complied because she felt intimidated. She left the other girls in the salon and got into AH's car. AH then drove to an area near Al Twar Park, where he raped her, prosecutors say.

The girl told prosecutors she tried unsuccessfully to fight off his advances, and was injured in the process, but he was too strong for her.

She said AH then drove to a supermarket and bought supplies to help her clean up before taking her back to the salon.

The girl's mother, HA, said that when her daughter came home, she went straight to her room and called for the housekeeper. The housekeeper left the room soon afterwards, looking perturbed.

The girl spent the next three days in her room.

HA finally used a spare key to open the door and found her daughter crying on the bed.

The housekeeper then told H A that on the day her daughter returned home, she gave the housekeeper blood-stained clothes to wash.

The 13-year-old said she was too afraid to tell her mother what happened. HA then informed her husband of the incident, and the two agreed to file a complaint.

The case has been adjourned to November 3. [e-mail]