A Dubai-based Pakistani man is under trial for hiring three men to sexually harass a woman who had just broken up with him, Khaleej Times reported.
The men broke into the victim's flat after midnight back in August.
The complainant said that during the break in, the men stole her phone and 12,000 dirhams ($3,266.) They then went on to sexually assault her.
All four suspects in the case have been charged with "forcible robbery, molestation and criminal complicity."
The woman was gagged, groped, and forced to strip down
The victim recounted the details of the terrifying ordeal in a court hearing.
"Those men came ringing my doorbell. As I opened it and was checking who it was, two men pushed the door and barged inside. They snatched my mobile phone after one of them grabbed me aggressively by the arms," she explained.
The duo tied the woman up, gagged her, forced her to remove her clothes, and molested her.
When they eventually left her flat, the complainant managed to remove the duct tape placed on her mouth and screamed for help. However, the men heard her screams, came back to her apartment, and tied her up again.
After they finally left the scene, the victim managed to untie herself and immediately reported the attack to police.
Authorities quickly realized that the woman's ex-boyfriend was involved
In a statement to court, a police officer involved in the investigation said that officials checked CCTV footage captured around the victim's building.
"We saw two men covering their faces and getting inside the lift to the victim's flat. We had doubts about the woman's friends. We learned later that she had a Pakistani boyfriend, one of the accused on trial. He was charged with aiding and abetting in the crimes," he said.
Police arrested the man shortly after the incident. He confessed to organizing the crime a week after the victim broke up with him, saying that he wanted to get back at her.
A final ruling in the case will be announced by court on Nov. 8. The man and all his accomplices are likely to face prison sentences.
Sexual harassment laws in the UAE
Though there are no specific laws or regulations that protect victims of sexual harassment in the UAE, the country's Penal Code still incriminates incidents of assault.
The code criminalizes any "scandalous and disgraceful act" which includes those involving sexual abuse and harassment. Articles 358 and 359 of the penal code provide more specific and clear-cut legislations when it comes to such 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."