Quran teacher who raped child must serve his 15-year sentence

HM, 24, a Bangladeshi, said he molested the boy because "the devil played with my head". His sentence has been upheld by the Appeals Court in Dubai.

DUBAI // A Quran teacher who raped a 4-year-old pupil had his 15-year jail sentence upheld by the Appeals Court today.

HM, 24, a Bangladeshi, said he molested the boy because "the devil played with my head".

He admitted raping the child on three occasions, the most recent of which occurred on July 18 last year, while he was teaching in the kitchen of the villa where the child lives.

The boy reported the attack to his mother. "My son came back to our room very frightened," recalled the 25-year-old Pakistani mother. She said that when she asked why was he frightened, he said the teacher ripped his trousers off and hurt him.

The boy's father and uncle then took the teacher to the police station.

Forensics reports confirmed the boy has been sexually assaulted and traces of the teacher's DNA were found on the boy. The boy told prosecutors the teacher had molested him twice previously.

The teacher told AA, a Yemeni policeman, 45, that "I was wrong and the devil played with my head."

The Criminal Court heard the family lived with three others in a villa in Al Hamriya. The teacher was giving lessons to some of the other families' children when the father asked him to teach his son too.

"I saw the teacher a couple of times then asked my neighbour if my son could join his kids in the lessons," said the boy's father, aged 30, who agreed to pay the teacher Dh30 a month. The teacher had been giving the boy lessons for two months before the attack was reported.

The one-hour lesson was given every day except for Thursdays and Fridays.

The teacher will be deported after completing his prison term.