Abu Dhabi man cleared of kidnapping fiancee so she can't marry anyone

ABU DHABI // An unemployed Emirati who kidnapped his fiancée after her mother decided to wed her to another man, was cleared by the Criminal Court yesterday.

The man in his early twenties spotted his 16-year-old beau alone in her mother's car in a mall car park with the engine running. So he jumped in the driver's seat and took off with her.

He did so after the girl's family accepted a proposal of marriage from a relative after giving the man two years to find a job, which he failed to do.

The girl's brother and father spotted the pair driving off and called police after they tried in vain to stop the car.

The teenage girl tried to remove the key from the ignition to stop him but he managed to put it back and drove off towards Dubai.

The worried family kept calling him and the girl's mother said the unemployed man threatened to rape his fiancée so no one else would agree to marry her.

The girl's brothers then called him and convinced him to return her after they promised she won't marry anyone else.

He immediately took the first exit back to Abu Dhabi and returned her unharmed.

The daughter denied in court that he threatened to rape her or even kidnap her.

"He was trying to reach a solution with my family to make sure I don't marry anyone else," she told the judges.

When asked about the marks that were found on her body by forensics tests, she said she tried to throw herself out of the car and he stopped her, fearing for her life.

After the judge listened to the girl's testimony, he shifted his gaze sideways to the defendant and told him: "Wallah, the girl clearly loves you."

hdajani@thenational.ae