Laundry shop worker molested young girl in Dubai, court hears

The man had been previously reported to his boss for harassing another girl living in the building where his shop is located.

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A laundry shop worker molested an Indian girl as she was trying to get into the lift of her building, Dubai Criminal Court was told on Monday.

The Pakistani man had been previously reported to his boss for harassing another girl who lives in the building where his shop is located.

After his employer approached him about the incident, he was reported to police for molesting the Indian girl.

Prosecutors said that on June 6, the girl - who is under 14 - was harassed by the 25-year-old man, who kept offering her sweets and money in return for accompanying him to the shop.

“That day he prevented me from taking the lift and when I tried to use the stairs, he blocked my way and touched my arms before asking me to go with him to the laundry shop,” the girl said.

Her father, a financial manager at a private company, said his daughter rushed into their apartment in Al Karama crying and told him what happened.

He asked security guards to look at CCTV recordings before calling the police. “The guard told me that the other tenants complained against the same man for chasing their daughters,” the 50-year-old said.

Police watched the CCTV footage and arrested the man. During questioning the worker said he had only touched the girl’s arm.

He denied a sex assault charge in court.

A verdict will be given on July 27.