DUBAI 13 August 2017: An African woman was shocked when her friend whom she had sex with, left her locked in a flat with his friend who fought to have sex with her too, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.
On April 20 at around 11pm, 23-year-old jobless, AM, went to an alcohol den known among Africans n Al Quoz area to meet her friend. However, as her friend did not show up that night. AM mingled with a Kenyan called Martin and had drinks with him.
“After sometime, I got out and went to a nearby supermarket. In the supermarket, I met an African who asked me for my mobile number. I refused and went back to the den. At around 4am, I wanted to leave but as I did not have enough money, Martin offered to accompany him to his nearby accommodation and to stay with him. I agreed and we left together. After we got into the flat, the same man whom I met in the supermarket, came in behind us,” said the woman.
Martin brought a mattress from inside and placed it in the hall saying that his flat mates were sleeping in the bedroom.
“We slept on the mattress and had sex willingly. Then the man whom I met in the supermarket, came out from a room and asked for help to prepare food. I put on my dress and went to the kitchen to help him. All of a sudden he locked the kitchen door and shouted: ‘when I asked you for your mobile number, you refused… now he wants sex.’ When I refused, he came closer to me and I grabbed a knife and threatened him to get out from the kitchen,” said the woman.
Don’t Be Scared
As he got out and went to a bedroom, the woman rushed to Martin who was sleeping on the floor. “I woke him up and told him about his flat mate. He calmed me down saying not to be scared because he was drunk,” she said.
These words did not calm the woman who was tense. Her friend got up and went to the balcony to smoke and closed the door behind him.
“At this time, the other man came and asked me why I was crying. He threatened to rape me. He counted to three and as I did not tell him, he started forcibly pulling down my trousers. While he was raping me, Martin came in from the balcony,” she said.
The two men fought. Martin told his friend that he cannot have sex forcibly with a woman.
Balcony Refuge
The woman rushed to the flat’s door but found it locked and there was no key. She rushed to the balcony and closed the door behind her.
“I waited for some time and when it was quiet, I opened the balcony door and saw my rapist was alone. I asked him about Martin. He told me that he left the flat to buy some stuff and will be back. I got into the balcony again and closed the door scared that the man would attack me again. I noticed a man down on the ground and drew his attention by throwing small stones that were in the balcony,” said the woman.
The woman asked the man to call the police.
At this time, 40-year-old Cameroonian FM, got up and went to the hall to take his towel.
“I noticed a woman was in the balcony and JL was in the hall. I asked him about the woman but he did not answer. I stepped to the balcony and asked the woman what she was doing there. She replied that JL raped her, but JL denied that. Then the woman said that JL should be deported. JL got angry and rushed towards the woman who threatened to jump from the balcony if he came closer. She actually raised her body and put her legs over the balcony. Trying to prevent that, I asked her what she needed to sort out this problem,” testified FM.
Leave Building
The woman asked FM to ask her rapist to leave the building and when she would see him down, she will get in and leave the flat.
“I did what she asked me and JL left the flat and she saw him down the building. The woman did not get in because she was waiting for the police who were informed by people who were in the street,” said FM.
His flat mate SO, 36, Nigerian woke up when FM was trying to reach a settlement with the woman, “I intervened and threatened the woman who was in the balcony of informing the building’s security asking her to get in and leave the place. As she did not listen to us, I and FM decided to inform those who were in charge of the labour accommodation,” testified SO.
Police arrived and arrested rescue guard JL, who was still down the building.
The court will reconvene today August 13.
By Lolyana Zaki