Death sentence for Dubai boss who raped job applicant

DUBAI // A company manager who raped a woman applying for a job as his secretary was today sentenced to death.

HA, a 44-year-old Iraqi, posted an advertisement in an Arabic language daily newspaper seeking a secretary for his contracting company, leaving his mobile number as the contact. 30-year-old EM, who was visiting the country in the hope of finding a full-time job, saw the advert and contacted the manager, agreeing to meet him on January 8 this year.

When she entered the studio apartment in which the office was situated at about 1.30pm the manager locked the door after her and started asking about her qualifications. These questions soon gave way to flirting, which made the woman uncomfortable and she told him she wanted to leave. But as she walked towards the door the manager grabbed her, threw her on top of his desk and raped her, stifling her screams and attempts to resist as he did so.

After the attack the woman took the bus back to an apartment where she was staying with a number of other girls and informed one of her roommates of what had happened. On the roommate's advice she went to Naif police station and reported the attack.

When the manager was arrested the next day he gave arresting officers a false name.

A forensic examination found traces of the manager's DNA on the woman's clothes.

The sentence by the Dubai Criminal Court will be subject to automatic appeal.

salamir@thenational.ae