Barber lands in jail for harassing 9-year-old girl

A 30-year-old man has been sentenced to one year in jail after the court found him guilty of molesting a 9-year-old girl more than once outside her place.
The Pakistani, who works as a barber, has been found guilty by the Court of First Instance of groping, hugging and kissing the girl against her will while she was away from her parents' sight.\
The court ordered that he be deported after serving his time in jail.
The girl, an Indian student, told the investigators that she and her 8-year-old brother went out at 7 pm on May 11 to play outside their home in Freej Al Murar, Naif area.
"I was playing with a little cat when a man came and grabbed my hand telling me about more cats," she said.
He dragged her to an alley near an under-construction building where there were cats. He then groped and kissed her.
He was interrupted when her brother and the other kids came.
"Then that man asked us to leave because he wanted to buy meat for the cats," the girl added.
Few days later, the man hugged her as she was walking behind her brother and his friend outside their place. She felt scared and ran away to catch up with the other children.
"My son told me a man grabbed his sister's hand. I did not give attention to what he said and I made them go to bed," the girl's mother, a 32-year-old Indian housewife, said.
However, the mother panicked when she learned from her daughter that the stranger also kissed and touched her.
The girl's father went out looking for the suspect in vain. "The next day I learned the same man tried to grab my daughter's hand again as she was stepping off the bus," the mother added.
Few days later, the mother noticed a man staring at her while he was at a barbershop near their building.
The police arrested him there shortly later.
The accused may still appeal the ruling.

- mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com