Man drove tourist to desert and raped her, Dubai court hears

DUBAI // A man raped his friend after threatening to kill and bury her in the desert, the Criminal Court heard on Sunday.

The alleged victim, S M, 22, from France, said she met the Emirati defendant S A, 25, about a year ago during one of her visits to the country.

She arrived in Dubai on August 20 and began receiving calls from S A, but only answered him on August 29.

“It was 7am and we agreed to meet in Nad Al Sheba, where I parked my car and got into his,” she told the court.

“He took me to the desert saying he would show me the camels on his farm, but then in the middle of the desert he tried to kiss me and I refused.”

She said S A became angry, stopped the car then pulled her hair, strangled her and punched her.

The victim tried repeatedly to open the car’s door and escape but it was locked. He then pulled out a knife and threatened to kill her and bury her body in the desert if she did not have sex with him.

“I still refused, which made him violently try to pull off my jeans and as a result he tore them a bit. He then placed the knife to my neck and raped me as I cried and begged him to let me go,” she said.

Afterwards he handed her a spare abaya that she had in her bag and ordered her to put it on. Then he combed her hair and drove her back to her car.

“I drove but I didn’t feel well. I felt dizzy so I called police and an ambulance,” she said.

A forensic report said the woman suffered injuries that were consistent with an assault. The report also confirmed recent sexual activity but could not ascertain whether it was by force or not.

W N, 27, a policeman, testified that he and his colleague attended to the woman after she called the operations room.

“We found her in her car crying and in a state of fear. She said she had been raped,” he said.

The defendant denied charges of rape, issuing threats to kill and physical assault when he appeared at the Dubai Criminal Court.

The next hearing will be on Wednesday.