DUBAI // The Attorney General of Dubai has called for the death penalty against the alleged killer of eight-year-old Obaida Al Aqrabawi, who was kidnapped, strangled and then murdered last month.
Essam Eisa Al Humaidan said the 48-year-old Jordanian, who police said had admitted the crime, should be executed.
The man has been referred to Dubai Criminal Court on charges of kidnapping, child abuse and first-degree murder.
The body of Obaida, who was also Jordanian, was found on May 22 under a tree on Academic City Road in Dubai’s Al Warqa. He had been strangled and there were signs of sexual assault. He had been kidnapped two days earlier from in front of a garage in the industrial area of Sharjah where his father worked.
Mr Al Humaidan said that prosecutors had completed their investigations into the case in less than two weeks and that they called for a speedy trial.
The investigation team listened to the testimonies of the victim’s father, uncle and all the officers who were involved in gathering evidence and arresting the defendant. The team also watched a re-enactment of the crime involving the defendant, who is said to have confessed in detail.
The Attorney General added that the death penalty had been demanded by prosecutors because the defendant had pleaded guilty and there was sufficient evidence from witnesses and forensics proving that he committed the crime.
The defendant was also charged with consumption of alcohol and driving under the influence.
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