Rapist, killer of 11-year-old Pakistani boy in Abu Dhabi appeals death sentence

A Pakistani man, who was convicted of strangling an 11-year-old boy to death after raping him at the rooftop of their Abu Dhabi building, has challenged his execution sentence. While denying all the charges, he has contended that he was being wrongly convicted.

The 33-year-old man was sentenced to death last November by the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance after he was found guilty of rape, murder and a slew of other charges. The court also ordered the killer to pay Dh200,000 in blood money to the child's family.

The man has, however, appealed the ruling in the Abu Dhabi Appeal Court.

The Pakistani appeared in court for his first hearing without a lawyer and the court ordered him to appoint one, who will be paid by the state.

(The law says all defendants on trial for capital offences and those who may face a death penalty or life in prison, should be represented by a defence lawyer for a fair hearing.)

The child's father Dr Majed Janjua, who attended the first hearing of the case at the appeal court, insisted on the death penalty. "I would only be satisfied by a death penalty for the killer of my child and not anything else," the father said at the court.

He said the murderer's family had tried to speak with him and his family about pardoning the culprit after the Court of First Instance handed him a death sentence.

The trial was adjourned until February 13.

On June 1, 2017, the Pakistani boy - identified as Azan Majid - was found missing, after he went to a nearby mosque to pray. His body was found the next day on the rooftop of the building on Muroor Road, where he was staying with his father and stepmother.

The court records stated that the boy was sexually abused and strangled to death with a rope by the Pakistani national, who is also related to the child.

The police revealed that the man cross-dressed to carry out the attacks on the child, after luring the boy into going with him to the rooftop of the building.

The Abu Dhabi Public Prosecution had charged the Pakistani with premeditated murder, raping the child, cross-dressing and driving a car without a number plate

The Abu Dhabi Criminal Court of First Instance found the Pakistani guilty on all counts and he was handed the death penalty.