Man molested 11-year-old girl because she 'looked like his daughter'

Girl molested as she returned home from school.

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DUBAI // A man accused of molesting an 11-year-old girl claimed she reminded him of his dead daughter, a court has heard.

The Dubai Criminal Court of First Instance was told Indian RM, 33, hugged RJ, also Indian, and kissed her on her cheeks and lips.

"She is like my daughter," he told the court this morning, adding that his daughter died when she was the same age as RJ. "I kissed her like I would kiss my late daughter."

Prosecutors said he touched the girl inappropriately on the afternoon of December 15 last year.

Her mother testified that on the day of the incident her daughter called as she arrived home from school. The mother, JA, 41, told her daughter to take the stairs to their apartment in case the lift broke down.

"She called me a few minutes later crying and saying a man had followed and harassed her," said the mother. "She informed me a man told her he loved her then forcefully kissed her."

JA added that when she looked in her daughter's school bag she found a note from the defendant with his phone number, telling her to call him and never tell anyone.

The mother called police who arrested RM in Jumeirah.

Prosecutors claim he willingly confessed during interrogations.

A verdict is expected on March 25.

Salamir@thenational.ae