ABU DHABI // A father demanded his son swear on the Quran that he did not have sex with a high school student, telling a court today that if he had he would "lash him at home".
The son, a Palestinian, confessed at the Criminal Court to having sex outside of wedlock with the student, who is over 18 and also Palestinian, prompting his father to address the court.
The father said that while his son was in prison awaiting trial he had sent a number of messengers to ask him whether he had committed the act and that his son had professed his innocence.
"But now in front of you he is saying he did for some reason," said the father. "Whether he did or not, we got him married to the girl and she will stay his wife if he wishes," he continued. "But I want to know the truth, if he did commit the sin I want to punish him and lash him at home."
He demanded his son take an oath on the Quran before being given another chance to answer the charge.
Chief Justice Sayed Abdul Baseer, head of the court, asked the father to calm down and asked the high school student for her version of what had happened.
Upon her explanation, which was not made explicit, the judge said that as full sexual intercourse had not occurred, the charge would not be one of sex out of wedlock.
The student asked for bail as she had already missed two of her final exams.
The judge granted both the son and the student bail and signed a letter for the student's school to excuse her from missing her exams.
It was unclear how the two ended up in court.
The case was adjourned.
hdajani@thenational.ae
