Man assaulted woman at Quran memorisation centre, court hears

Man sexually assaulted a woman before running away, hears court.

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ABU DHABI // A man sexually assaulted a woman at a Quran memorisation centre in Abu Dhabi, a court heard today.

HS, from Asia, tried to undress the woman but was rebuffed and ran into the street, where he was spotted by the Emirati man, AA, the Criminal Court heard.

The Emirati became suspicious and gave chase in his car, before apprehending the man and taking him back to the centre, where he learnt from the woman, who is also Asian, that the man had assaulted her after trying to undress her.

The Emirati witness told the court that when the man was taken back to the centre he looked calm, while the woman looked "nervous and afraid".

But the man denied a charge of sexual assault, claiming that he and the woman were acquainted and were involved in a dispute.

He said he lent the woman money on numerous occasions but that she rarely paid him back. He said that on this occasion he had asked her to pay him back Dh100 that she owed him and that she became upset and refused.

He said she punched him in the arm and he punched her back. She then called the police and told them he was assaulting her. He said that he ran away from the centre because he was afraid the police would believe her claims.

The case was adjourned to December 27.

aalkhoori@thenational.ae