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Man accused of rape, murder of 11-year-old boy denies charges

Abu Dhabi - The trial has been adjourned until August 23.

A Pakistani man accused of strangling a 11-year-old boy to death after raping him at the rooftop of their Abu Dhabi building has denied killing the child.
The Pakistani boy - identified as Azan Majid - was found missing on June 1, after he went to a nearby mosque to pray. His body was found the next day on the rooftop of the building on the Muroor Road where he was staying with his father and stepmother.
And on Tuesday, the 33-year-old Pakistani man - accused of killing the boy - appeared before the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court for the first hearing in the case where he entered a not guilty plea to all charges against him.
The Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution charged him with premeditated murder, raping the child, cross-dressing and driving a car without a number plate.
"I'm not guilty of all the charges," the Pakistani told the court.
"I am innocent and I have never committed any crime."
And when the judge asked him about his confession at Police and Public Prosecution, the Pakistani man said it was all under duress.
"I was made into confessing to the crimes by the security officers," said the man.
"I was beaten badly and this made me confess to all the crimes, but I have never been involved in anything concerning the child's death."
The Pakistani added: "The prosecutors should produce witnesses or forensic evidence to prove that I murdered the child."
Earlier, Abu Dhabi Police said that their investigations suggested that the boy was sexually abused and strangled to death with a rope.
The police said they had arrested the Pakistani national, who is also related to the child, after investigations.
Police revealed that the man cross-dressed to carry out the attacks on the child, after luring the boy into going with him to the rooftop of the building.
Cops said the Pakistani had confessed to them that he disguised as a woman to lure the boy because he knew his parents always told him not to go out with strangers. After murdering him, the accused fled the scene.
The public prosecutors have demanded death penalty if the Pakistani is found guilty of the charges.
The child's parents, who were also present at Tuesday's hearing, told court that they want the killer to be executed when found guilty.
The judge asked the parents to produce during the next hearing, documents that show all the blood relatives of the child and whether the Pakistani father who stays in Abu Dhabi with his second Pakistani wife was still married to the child's Russian mother.
The Pakistani defendant has been asked to appoint a lawyer who would represent him in the future hearings.
The trial has been adjourned until August 23.
ismail@khaleejtimes.com