Son was in consensual affair with stepmother, Abu Dhabi court hears

ABU DHABI // A young man accused of raping his stepmother will instead face charges of sex outside of wedlock and incest after convincing a court they were involved in a consensual affair.

The criminal court heard today that police originally responded to a complaint by a man that his son had raped his wife - who is nine years older than the son. However, when officers arrived they saw the father had beaten his son and filed assault charges against the father.

During police investigations, the father said his brother's wife had seen his son in bed with his wife. When he questioned his wife she said her stepson had raped her and was constantly blackmailing her into having sex with him.

But when the father confronted his son, he was told the pair had been in a consensual relationship for a year and a half. On hearing this, the father attacked his son.

In court, the wife insisted that her stepson walked into her bedroom over a year and a half ago before raping her and threatening to tell his father they were having an affair unless she continued to sleep with him.

The son admitted that he had argued with his stepmother at the time in question, but claimed that when he entered her bedroom she closed the door before forcing herself on him. He said he responded to her sexual advances and that the affair ensued.

He showed the court text messages and entries in online chat rooms that showed a consensual relationship existed between them. The court then changed his charge from rape to consensual sex outside of wedlock and incest - and levelled the same charges at the stepmother.

The father withdrew his right to accuse his wife of adultery, while the son withdrew his right to accuse his father of physical assault.

The case was adjourned.

hdajani@thenational.ae