A carpenter who beat-up and raped a cleaner in the women’s toilets at a mall will see out his 15 year jail term.
The victim, a 25-year-old woman from Nepal, was cleaning the toilets at City Walk at nearly 2am when she noticed the defendant in the mirror.
"I asked what he was doing there. I tried to walk away and at the same time pulled my mobile phone from my pocket, but he snatched it then dragged me by the hand into the changing room," the woman said.
The Indian defendant hit her on the mouth, slapped and threatened her before he sitting on top of her and stripping her naked, she said.
"He gagged me with one hand and stripped me with the other then raped me and only ran away when he heard footsteps."
The victim got dressed and told a security guard what had happened.
Police were called and took the cleaner to hospital. The 47-year-old carpenter was arrested after the victim identified him at the police station.
"He was found hiding between cars in a car park," said an Emirati policeman.
A police officer said that during questioning, the defendant said he entered the women's restroom by mistake. The carpenter said the woman took off her clothes and offered herself to him but afterwards insulted him so he slapped her.
He denied a rape charge when he appeared in both Dubai Criminal Court and Dubai Court of Appeal. He was found guilty and will be deported after serving his jail term. On Tuesday, Dubai Court of Appeal upheld his sentence, rejecting his plea for a reduced term.
