Dubai tutor convicted of molesting pupil

The Bangladeshi, 37, was arrested after the father of the Pakistani girl raised the alarm when his daughter spoke of being touched during lessons.

Powered by automated translation

DUBAI // A tutor who offered after school Quran lessons has been convicted of molesting an eight-year-old pupil, Dubai Criminal Court heard.

The Bangladeshi, 37, was arrested after the Pakistani girl’s father raised the alarm when his daughter spoke of being touched during lessons.

“I met him at a mosque in the neighbourhood nearly eight months before the incident and I heard he gave Quran lessons to children. I asked him to teach both my kids,” said the 35-year-old father.

He said three weeks after the lessons began, he returned home on November 14. His wife told him that their daughter had burst out crying after a lesson.

“I spoke with my daughter, she was scared and started crying. She told me that he had been touching her inappropriately for nearly 20 days but she was scared to say anything,” the father said.

A Dubai Police officer that investigated the crime said the part-time tutor admitted to touching the girl. “He told me he was sorry for what he had done,” said the officer, 34.

But despite that testimony, the suspect defendant denied a charge of sexual assault. He was sentenced to six months in jail to be followed by deportation.

salamir@thenational.ae