Dubai-based man jailed for molesting woman while she was sleeping

A 19-year-old man in Dubai has been sentenced to three months in jail after sexually harassing a woman while she was sleeping. 

The 38-year-old woman was waiting for a friend in Al Qusais industrial area when she fell asleep at the reception. That's when the man, who is of Pakistani origin, began inappropriately touching her. 

"It was around 3:30 pm. I suddenly fell asleep on the couch. When I opened my eyes, I saw a man touching my thigh and abdomen," she said, according to Khaleej Times.

The woman began screaming, ultimately scaring the man off. He ran out immediately, but returned a few minutes later. 

"He came back a few minutes later and gestured to me to walk to him. But I ignored him. I reported him to the police the next day because I was then shocked and confused about the incident," she said.

At the time, the woman reported the man to Al Qusais police station.

The incident took place in March. In a court hearing, the man denied the charges before the Dubai Court of First Instance. 

However, the court convicted him and then ordered his deportation. 

In December 2017, a 24-year-old man in Dubai followed a woman to her place of residence, got into the lift as she entered and molested her. 

According to Gulf News, "the man approached the woman, unzipped his pants, slid one hand inside his trouser and groped her with the other hand."

The woman reported the incident to the police, leading to the man's arrest.

The UAE's Penal Code incriminates any "scandalous and disgraceful act."

Articles 358 and 359 of the penal code provide clear-cut laws when it comes to certain incidents. 

Article 358: 

"Whoever openly commits an indecent and disgraceful act shall be punished by detention for a period of at least six months. Whoever commits a disgraceful act with a girl or boy who has not completed fifteen years of age even if it is not committed openly, shall be punished by detention for at least a period of one year." 

Article 359: 

"Whoever attempts to disgrace a female by words or by deeds in a public street or frequented place, shall be punished by detention for a period not exceeding one year and by a fine not exceeding ten thousand dirhams or by either of these two penalties. The same penalty shall apply to any man who disguises himself in a woman's clothing and enters a place the entry into which is reserved for women. If a man in such a case commits a crime, it shall be considered an aggravating circumstance."