ABU DHABI // A man who exchanged romantic messages with a 14-year-old girl shortly before she committed suicide was yesterday cleared by the Appeals Court of "beautifying the sin".
S, from Syria, found his girlfriend's dead body lying in a pool of blood on September 5 last year after she threw herself from her balcony window shortly after they exchanged text messages in which they both joked about committing suicide.
In despair he slashed his wrist, but was saved after calling an ambulance. Prosecutors originally suspected he had urged the girl to kill herself, but later dismissed the suggestion, deciding the messages were simply jokes.
He was then charged with "beautifying the sin" for exchanging romantic messages with a female who he was not engaged to. The Misdemeanours Court sentenced him to three months followed by deportation.
He appealed the verdict, arguing that he planned to propose to the girl and was waiting for a chance to bring his family from Syria to propose to her family and that he did not mean any harm or have any indecent intentions.
[ hdajani@thenational.ae ]
