Cleaner lures autistic boy, sexually abuses him in Dubai

A cleaner has gone on trial on the charge of using force to sexually assault a 14-year-old autistic boy in a room near the swimming pool of his parents' villa.
The 21-year-old Indian tricked the victim, a Pakistani, to a water pump room where he took advantage of his young age and special condition to sexually assault him.
The incident happened on December 14, 2017, and a complaint was registered at Al Barsha police station.
A policeman, who nabbed the cleaner right after the complaint was lodged on December 17, 2017, said: "An incident of sexual assault was reported at a park near a villa. We moved to the scene and heard from the victim's mother that her son had been lured to enter a room by the cleaner. She said her autistic boy was sexually assaulted.
"She said her son informed her about the incident three days later. She added that he doesn't speak much. He became nervous and changes were visible in him after the incident. She tried to calm him down and he told her what happened to him after she insisted to know what was wrong with him," the officer said.
The policeman revealed the defendant denied at first the charge during questioning but later confessed he did it once.
The accused claimed to the police it was the boy who came to him.
The mother said during investigation that after the incident her son would get angry for no reason. "I took him to a restaurant where he threw the food menu. In the car, I kept asking him if there was any problem until he told me. He revealed that he was riding his bicycle near the swimming pool when the cleaner lured him to the water pump room. That man locked the door and then inappropriately touched him and sexually assaulted him."
The cleaner's DNA traces were found on the victim's trousers, as shown in the report from the general directorate of criminal evidence and criminology.  
The next hearing will be held on May 15.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com