DUBAI // An employer who raped his Indonesian maid then threatened to kill her was given a life sentence by the Dubai Criminal Court on Wednesday.
On November 27 last year, Emirati R A, 29, called his 30-year-old maid to his room to iron his clothes.
“I was preparing breakfast to take to his hospitalised wife so I asked him to bring his clothes to the kitchen for me to iron them,” she said.
R A insisted she finish the ironing in his bedroom. As she entered the room, he locked the door and removed the key.
The woman tried to hide in the en suite bathroom, but R A grabbed her and threw her to the ground, where he raped her.
“I begged him repeatedly, I reminded him he was married. I asked him how would he feel if someone did the same offence to his wife and I told him I was married. But I begged him in vain,” the victim said.
She told prosecutors that R A had repeatedly molested her in the six months she had been working for the family.
“He would come to my room, hug me and touch my breast. I told him during these incidents that I would scream so he used to leave me alone. But this time no one was in the house and the other two maids were in the outside kitchen,” she said.
Prosecutors said after raping her, R A forced her to take Dh200.
“I refused but he said he would kill me and break my arm,” she said.
Later that day, she told her fellow maids what had happened and they advised her to run away.
But as she left the house, R A caught her and forced her back inside. “He threatened to kill me if I told anyone,” she said.
The woman then managed to phone her embassy, where staff advised her to call the police.
salamir@thenational.ae
Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
UAE jiu-jitsu squad
Men: Hamad Nawad and Khalid Al Balushi (56kg), Omar Al Fadhli and Saeed Al Mazroui (62kg), Taleb Al Kirbi and Humaid Al Kaabi (69kg), Mohammed Al Qubaisi and Saud Al Hammadi (70kg), Khalfan Belhol and Mohammad Haitham Radhi (85kg), Faisal Al Ketbi and Zayed Al Kaabi (94kg)
Women: Wadima Al Yafei and Mahra Al Hanaei (49kg), Bashayer Al Matrooshi and Hessa Al Shamsi (62kg)
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The Buckingham Murders
Starring: Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ash Tandon, Prabhleen Sandhu
Director: Hansal Mehta
Rating: 4 / 5
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
The Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index
Mazen Abukhater, principal and actuary at global consultancy Mercer, Middle East, says the company’s Melbourne Mercer Global Pension Index - which benchmarks 34 pension schemes across the globe to assess their adequacy, sustainability and integrity - included Saudi Arabia for the first time this year to offer a glimpse into the region.
The index highlighted fundamental issues for all 34 countries, such as a rapid ageing population and a low growth / low interest environment putting pressure on expected returns. It also highlighted the increasing popularity around the world of defined contribution schemes.
“Average life expectancy has been increasing by about three years every 10 years. Someone born in 1947 is expected to live until 85 whereas someone born in 2007 is expected to live to 103,” Mr Abukhater told the Mena Pensions Conference.
“Are our systems equipped to handle these kind of life expectancies in the future? If so many people retire at 60, they are going to be in retirement for 43 years – so we need to adapt our retirement age to our changing life expectancy.”
Saudi Arabia came in the middle of Mercer’s ranking with a score of 58.9. The report said the country's index could be raised by improving the minimum level of support for the poorest aged individuals and increasing the labour force participation rate at older ages as life expectancies rise.
Mr Abukhater said the challenges of an ageing population, increased life expectancy and some individuals relying solely on their government for financial support in their retirement years will put the system under strain.
“To relieve that pressure, governments need to consider whether it is time to switch to a defined contribution scheme so that individuals can supplement their own future with the help of government support,” he said.
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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What are the GCSE grade equivalents?
- Grade 9 = above an A*
- Grade 8 = between grades A* and A
- Grade 7 = grade A
- Grade 6 = just above a grade B
- Grade 5 = between grades B and C
- Grade 4 = grade C
- Grade 3 = between grades D and E
- Grade 2 = between grades E and F
- Grade 1 = between grades F and G
Company%20Profile
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COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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Company%20Profile
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PROFILE OF INVYGO
Started: 2018
Founders: Eslam Hussein and Pulkit Ganjoo
Based: Dubai
Sector: Transport
Size: 9 employees
Investment: $1,275,000
Investors: Class 5 Global, Equitrust, Gulf Islamic Investments, Kairos K50 and William Zeqiri
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
What to watch out for:
Algae, waste coffee grounds and orange peels will be used in the pavilion's walls and gangways
The hulls of three ships will be used for the roof
The hulls will painted to make the largest Italian tricolour in the country’s history
Several pillars more than 20 metres high will support the structure
Roughly 15 tonnes of steel will be used
RESULTS
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