DUBAI // A 22-year-old Emirati soldier is accused of raping an Ethiopian woman he claims was his girlfriend, while his friend is charged with attempting to rape her.
The soldier denied rape at Dubai Criminal Court, telling judges that they were in a relationship and often had consensual sex. The Emirati co-accused, 20, denied attempted rape charge.
Prosecutors said the incident occurred on November 29 last year in Naif.
The jobless woman, 22, told investigators she was invited to dinner by the soldier at about 10pm that day. She said he picked her up and drove to a deserted area and, when he stopped the car, she noticed his friend in the back seat.
“His friend stepped out of the car then he [the soldier] locked the doors and jumped on top of me before he punched me on the waist and threatened to cut my throat and throw my dead body in the desert,” the woman said.
He overpowered her and raped her for about 10 minutes, she said, before he got out of the car and allegedly invited his friend to have sex with her.
“When he got into the car, I begged him and cried and pleaded to him that, if he had any sisters, to think of them and not touch me, so he stopped and got out of the car,” the woman said.
The pair then drove her back to her neighbourhood, where she said she saw a police patrol and told them about what happened. The police chased the duo’s car and apprehended them.
A 36-year-old policeman said he and his colleague were patrolling the area when they saw the victim getting out of a black Camry at about 5am. “She was crying so I asked her what was wrong. She pointed at the Camry and said something bad happened,” the officer said.
The soldier’s DNA was found on the woman’s body, however, the medical report could not confirm if the sex was forceful, as no signs of force were found on the woman’s body.
The next hearing will be on May 10 to appoint a lawyer.
salamir@thenational.ae
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Seven tips from Emirates NBD
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
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