Man denies raping friend's wife at his Dubai flat

A businessman has gone on trial at the Dubai Court of First Instance for allegedly raping his friend's wife inside his flat.

Public prosecution records show the 37-year-old Afghani man forced himself on the 22-year-old Pakistani woman right after her husband left them at his flat. He allegedly locked the door and raped the victim after gagging her to stop her from screaming for help.

He denied the charge in court.

The case was registered at the Naif police station in May.

The victim, on a visit visa, said the accused is her husband's friend and relative. "They have also some dealings together. Five days prior to the complaint, we went to his place - the defendant's - to have a meal together. It was about 6pm. A couple of hours later, my husband had to leave to take care of some transactions he had."

The victim claimed that the defendant then began touch her. "He said he wanted to have sex with me and when I refused it, he had sex with me by force." She recounted to the investigator how he twisted her arms, slapped her on the face and raped her.

"He told me not to tell my husband about it, saying that even if I told him he would not believe me. He also said he would tell my husband that I was the one who sought sex with him."

She added that the accused intimidated her further by talking about the bad reputation and divorce. "I could not seek help because he had locked the door with a key which he kept and gagged me."

She complained she was caught off guard. "I did not inform my husband right away, as I was worried that he might divorce me."

However, she confided to a female relative five days later and the latter told her husband about the incident.

The victim's husband, a 25-year-old Pakistani businessman, said he came back to his friend's flat at 1am the next day. "On our way back home at 3.15 am, my wife told me that her eyes were red because she had an argument with her sister in Pakistan and she had been crying."

He said he only learned about the rape five days later.

A forensic report from the general directorate of criminal evidence and criminology showed the DNA traces found on the complainant's body matched with the defendant's.

Bruises were also spotted on her body.

The trial is adjourned to October 18.

mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai