Dubai tourist 'uses cover of haunted hotel attraction to sexually assault two women'

DUBAI // A tourist is accused of molesting two women at IMG Worlds of Adventure’s haunted hotel, a court heard on Sunday.

The two Emirati women, aged 18 and 22, walked into the dark corridors of the attraction and noticed two men walking behind them, prosecutors said. The incident occurred on September 24 last year.

“I asked him and his friend to walk in front of us but he insisted on us being in front of them. Then, as we walked, the defendant bumped into me from the back and stuck his body to mine,” said one of the women, who thought it had happened by mistake.

A few minutes later, she thought her friend grabbed her by the shoulder but she then realised that it was the 28-year-old Pakistani defendant.

“I didn’t say anything to him. I was scared he would do something far worse since we were in the middle of the place but he then started touching me all over my body and pressing against me from the back,” said the 18-year-old student.

Her 22-year-old friend said she was also sexually assaulted by the same man and, when they exited the haunted hotel, they both started screaming at him.

“We reported him at once,” said the second woman.

A surveillance recording revealed nothing due to the darkness of the attraction, aside from the women screaming at the man as they left.

At Dubai Criminal Court on Sunday, the defendant denied a sex assault charge.

A verdict is expected on March 14.

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