Worker molests woman in Dubai while delivering water to her house

A water vendor, who allegedly sexually harassed a female customer while at her place to deliver a water bottle, was charged in a Dubai court on Tuesday. A complaint was registered on December 17, 2017, at Al Rashidiyah police station.

The complainant, an air hostess from Costa Rica, accused the Pakistani vendor, 24, of touching her inappropriately. He denied a sexual harassment charge when his case was heard by the Court of First Instance. He claimed he unintentionally touched her because of the small space inside the kitchen.

"It was 10am and I was at home alone as my husband was in Australia on a business trip. I telephoned the defendant who worked at a company that usually delivered water to us," said the 32-year-old woman.

"When the worker arrived, I let him in and told him to insert the bottle on to the cooler because I am pregnant. But then I noticed there was still some water in the bottle that needed to be changed, I told him to put the new one on the floor because he was still carrying it on his shoulder.

"As I was busy emptying the old bottle, I was surprised when he grabbed me by the waist from behind and pulled me towards him. I pushed him away, yelled at him and told him to leave. About five minutes later, he came back with another man and knocked on the door, but I did not open for them."

During the investigation, she was asked whether she initiated a conversation with the accused. She said she just apologised as she hadn't heard him ring bell initially.

She told the prosecutor there was no possibility for him to touch her by mistake as "there was enough space in the kitchen". She said she filed a complaint against the vendor the next day when her husband came back.

A police sergeant said the accused was arrested on December 18, 2017, in Al Quoz. "He said the cooler was in a narrow corridor and he accidentally touched the woman when she stepped back. He said he then stepped away when she screamed," the officer said.

The complainant identified the accused three times among other suspects at the police station.

The court is set to pronounce a verdict on February 18.