The accomplice then sprayed water on her face and took her out of the building.

A 43-year-old Pakistani businessman is standing trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance on the charge of sexually assaulting a Moroccan woman and trying to rape her.



Two other Pakistanis are accused of helping and abetting him. One of them, a 35-year-old, is believed to have lured the complainant and brought her to an office in a building where the incident took place. The other 20-year-old accomplice allegedly kept the door closed so that others could not hear the woman's screams for help.



A case was registered on October 8 at the Al Muraqqabat police station.



The complainant, a 22-year-old tourist, said that she had met the 35-year-old defendant on WhatsApp. "He came around 8.30pm to my hotel in Al Karama to pick me up. He wanted to go to his office in Al Muraqqabat before taking me to dinner. When we arrived at the building, I saw the other two men there."



The 35-year-old defendant took her inside an office then left on the pretext of arranging for dinner. "I was left with the 43-year-old man. He told me to have alcoholic drinks with him. I had three glasses," the complainant recalled during public prosecution investigation.



She recounted how he assaulted her while trying to rape her. "He dragged me by force to another office where he raped me. I passed out for I don't know how much time. The 20-year-old accomplice then came and sprayed water on my face. He took me down the building where I hailed a cab to my place."



She filed a complaint at the police station as one of her female relatives advised her.



It was about three hours after the incident.



During interrogation by the police officers, she said that the 35-year-old man planned the assault and was aware what the businessman was up to.



The younger accused was there to keep the office door closed, she claimed.



The forensic report showed that the complainant was left with scratches and bruises. It was also found that she had not been raped.



She identified the three defendants among other suspects shown to her by the police.



Only the younger accused is out of jail.



The trial will continue on December 29.



mary@khaleejtimes.com