Cleaner molests 7-year-old boy at Dubai mosque, says 'devil seduced him'

A cleaner was charged at the Dubai Court of First Instance on Sunday for molesting a seven-year-old boy at a mosque in the emirate.
Court records show that the boy was with his mother at an exhibition at the mosque when the 31-year-old Bangladeshi cleaner lured him to the women's musallah, where he allegedly molested him.
Public prosecution investigators referred him to trial as he remains in detention.
The incident that happened on June 4 was reported at Al Rafaa police station.
The boy's mother, an Afghani housewife, said she was at a women's clothes exhibition at the mosque when her son came running towards her.
"It was around 10pm. He looked scared and was shaking. His temperature was high," she said.
The mother recalled that the boy told her how the defendant took him to the women's musallah, turned the lights off, and molested him.
"The cleaner then told him not to tell his parents and that he would bring him lots of toys and sweets."
The boy and his mother were still at the mosque when the cleaner came and sat next to the boy.
"He was carrying toys and candies. He tried to stop my son from talking. When I yelled at him and told him to leave, he realised that I learnt about what he did. He begged me not to tell my husband," the mother recounted.
A police corporal said the housewife reported the incident at past 5.30pm the next day. "We apprehended the accused at 6pm. He claimed he spotted the boy drinking water, and saw that his clothes were not clean. He said he pulled the boy's pants down and was about to clean them when 'the devil seduced him'."
During the public prosecution investigation, the cleaner admitted that he molested the victim.
The trial will continue on September 15.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com