Dubai Child Assault Case: Appeals Court Upholds Jail Term and Deportation

Dubai Court Child Assault Case : A Dubai appeals court affirmed a one-year jail term and deportation order for a man convicted of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl. After reviewing the defence’s arguments and the facts offered in the case, judges upheld the original penalty.

The defendant had disputed the conviction, requesting an acquittal or a reduction in punishment. Although the appeals court granted his appeal on procedural grounds, it dismissed his objections against the result and found no basis to reverse the initial decision.

The man must serve the prison term before being deported from the UAE. The court has also left a related civil claim to be considered separately by the competent civil court.

Dubai Court Reviews Evidence in Child Assault Case

The case contained charges that the guy took advantage of the girl’s youth by sleeping opposite her on a bed under the same cover, resting his head on her breast and wrapping his arm around her shoulder. The case was investigated by the Al Qusais Police Station.

The prosecution accused the defendant under Articles 126(1) and 407(1-3) of the Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on Crimes and Penalties, as modified by Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2022.

The first instance court found him guilty and sentenced him to a year in jail followed by deportation. It further instructed that the civil claim be forwarded to the proper civil court for separate review, with fees handled in accordance with the original judgement.

The guy disputed the claims at a secret appeal hearing. His counsel said that the evidence did not establish the elements of the offence or prove criminal intent. The defence requested that the court reverse the conviction or decrease the punishment.

The Public Prosecution opposed the appeal, arguing that the original judgement should stand.

Dubai Court Upholds Sentence After Evidence Review

After reviewing the case file, the appeals court came to the conclusion that the lower court had appropriately evaluated the facts and made a sound legal decision.

The judges examined forensic findings from the General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology, comments made by the defendant during Public Prosecution investigations, and statements given to investigators by the girl’s parents.

The appeals court determined that the conviction was supported by all of the evidence. Additionally, it dismissed the defense’s objections about the legal components of the offense, pointing out that the first-instance court had already looked into these matters.

The judges did not find any flaws in the lower court’s logic or evaluation of the relevant evidence. Additionally, they concluded that the defense had not offered any fresh evidence or logical justifications for reversing the decision or lessening the penalty.

The appeals court supported its ruling by adopting the first-instance judgment’s logic. Consequently, the deportation order and one-year jail sentence are still in force, with deportation occurring upon the completion of the sentence.

Before a suitable civil court, the associated civil matter will continue independently. The first criminal sentence and deportation order remain unaltered as a result of the appeal verdict.