Schoolgirl molestation case: Mom tried to blackmail school, says defence http://www.emirates247.com/news/emirates/schoolgirl-molestation-case-mom-tried-to-blackmail-school-says-defence-2011-03-23-1.372181
Claims child's mother asked for a job immediately after the first allegation and then again on March 13 Published Wednesday, March 23, 2011 The crime was alleged to have taken place in a school bus (File) Lawyer for the school in the ‘school girl molestation' case stunned the Dubai Criminal Court when he said that the mother of the girl tried to blackmail the school and that the assault allegations were an attempt by her to get a job in the institution. Lawyer Sameer Jaafar, who is defending the school staff, told the court that the girl’s mother had asked the school in a letter she sent on March 13 to give her a job in the school and to allow her daughter to join her classes. “It was not the first time that the mother asked for a job in the school. Immediately after the alleged molestation, she asked the school for a job. The letter was the second attempt. It is clear that she is blackmailing the school. As well, isn’t it very strange for a mother who claims sexual assault against her daughter to return her back to the same school… it is a blackmailing situation,” said Jaafar. Jaafar also suspected the prosecution’s accusations which he said were void of evidences and that the available evidences were contradictory. Suspecting the procedures, Jaafar said that his clients’ confessions have been taken under pressure so they were not the fact. The confessions mentioned in the case’s record were contradictory and included incidents that did not happen. This is in addition to the contradiction in the mother’s and father’s testimonies. "As well, my clients do not speak English language While investigations were in English without a presence of a translator, especially since my clients speak do speak a language that is not spoken by most Indian residents.” He defended that the bus had to stop at six points from the school to the girl’s house. And the time needed from the fifth point to the girl’s house is 6 minutes. “This time is not enough to commit the crime described by the prosecution. “The bus is supplied with a GPS and the route followed by the bus can be easily known especially that the device allows updating the location of the bus every 3 minutes. The GPS records did not show that the bus deviated from its route,” Jaafar said. Refuting the affirmation evidences, Jaafar told the court that the girl’s recognition of the accused in a parade cannot be considered evidence against them because it is obvious that the schoolgirl knows them as they were her bus staff. As well, forensic did not prove sexual assault against the girl and did not report traces of blood or sperms on her clothes, he said asking the court for his clients' acquittal. The report of the special medical committee prepared under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice and issued on January 30, attributed the redness found in the girl’s private part to poor hygiene and lack of medical care and rejected any sexual assault cause behind it. While investigating the allegations and collecting evidences, it seems that the prosecution was not convinced that the girl was subject to molestation and that is the reason why it asked for a special medical committee under the supervision of the Ministry of Justice apart from the Dubai Police Forensic report. “The special committee’s report proved that there was not any sexual assault and the redness was due to poor cleanliness,” said defence lawyer Hussain Al Jaziri. “The school location is at Nad Al Shiba and the girl’s house is in Karama. The bus passes 8 traffic lights which are busy with traffic and people and the mother had called the bus staff twice on their way. Is it possible in such circumstances that the accused molested the girl, he said asking the court to take into consideration that among the three defendents, one is in his fifties and none are teenagers. He said the records mentioned that the girl arrived home feeling sleepy… was quiet and not crying or scared. "Is it logical that such a girl was subject to sexual abuse a few minutes earlier? My colleague and I wouldn’t have accepted to defend the accused if we have a little suspicion that they are guilty. However, the media has played a negative role when describing them as monsters that prompted the Attorney General to deny the girl was subject to rape.” According to the case’s record, the Dubai Public Prosecution accused JTB, 43, messenger, MBS 44, bus driver and VSR, 37, bus assistant, with molesting and violating the modesty of the 4-year-old school girl NKK in the bus. The three were also accused of breaching trust. The records said that incident took place on Friday November, 11, 2011. The bus staff dropped all students to their homes and called up the girl’s mother telling her not to worry as they will reach her home a bit late on Friday, said the records. The accused are alleged to have stopped the bus in an isolated area and molested the girl, said the records. In the previous hearing of the case, SHS, 46, doctor at Dubai Police told the court that she has examined the clothes of the girl upon the request of Bur Dubai Police Station on January 10. “There were not any blood stains or human traces including sperms on the clothes of NKK and in the bus. However, it was not possible to take samples from the bus should any stains or traces been cleaned. SZA, 42, doctor at Dubai Police who has examined the girl, “There were not any injuries on her body including her private parts… her hymen was normal…there were no traces of recent or old wounds… there was no evidence of any sexual intercourse… The girl could have been molested and groped externally without the insertion of penis or finger. Any external grouping may cause redness that goes in a couple of hours,” she testified. The court will reconvene on April 6. Three accused of raping four-year-old girl in bus http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/three-accused-of-raping-four-year-old-girl-in-bus-1.746958#readersComments The Public Prosecution is investigating allegations that three school employees raped a four-year-old girl in a school bus in November * Dubai Police said a bus driver, a worker and a supervisor at a private school in Dubai are accused of raping an Indian girl before dropping her at home. * Image Credit: Virendra Saklani/Gulf News Dubai: The Public Prosecution is investigating allegations that three school employees raped a four-year-old girl in a school bus in November, the Arabic daily newspaper Al Khaleej reported. Dubai Police said a bus driver, a worker and a supervisor at a private school in Dubai are accused of raping an Indian girl before dropping her at home. "The suspects, all Indians, aged 26, 37 and 44, confessed to the crime and were referred to the Dubai Public Prosecution," Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the Dubai Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID) reportedly told the daily. The incident happened two months ago but the family did not report it at the time, Al Mansouri said. Police arrested the three after receiving the complaint last week, he said. The victim's father said: "The incident shocked me and her mother had a suspicion from the beginning that our daughter was sexually assaulted". Proven by tests He said he did not believe his wife's suspicions until they were proven by medical examinations. The mother took her daughter to a private clinic where she was examined and medical reports revealed that the girl had been sexually assaulted. The father said he did not report the incident immediately because he feared the consequences. Brig. Al Mansouri said the suspects allegedly raped the girl, who was the last to be dropped near home. Investigations are continuing. Rapist bus driver worked at school for 14 years http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/rapist-bus-driver-worked-at-school-for-14-years-1.747467 Mother recounts trauma of four-year-old pupil allegedly raped by three Dubai: The bus driver accused of raping a four-year-old girl on a school bus was employed with the school and its transportation service provider for 14 years, Gulf News has learnt. The conductor of the bus, among the three suspects arrested, was with the school for seven years. The Indian child, a pupil of Modern High School, was allegedly raped on November 11. The parents notified police on January 9. "My daughter is scared and can't sleep" "She is scared at night and doesn't want to sleep. Our 4-year-old daughter never told us what had happened. The stains on her clothes made me suspicious," the mother of a kindergarten pupil who was allegedly raped by the schoolbus driver and two conductors, said. "She only confided in us after we spoke to her based on medical reports that confirmed that she was raped by three men," the Indian homemaker, who hails from Delhi, told Gulf News. The girl has not gone back to school since the alleged incident took place. "Our family was shattered beyond words when we found out." On November 11 the Modern High school, where the child attends kindergarten, was celebrating children's day. "She usually comes back by 10.15am. I called the conductor to find out what time the bus would reach near our home in Karama and he replied that they would be on time." A few minutes later, the conductor called back to say that she need not come to the stop and that he would call her once they arrived. "But I felt uneasy and went down anyway and informed the conductor that I was already there," she recounted. "By 11am the bus arrived. I asked my daughter how the day went, but she did not mention anything." While the mother changed the child's clothes, she saw they were stained and asked her about it. "She just replied — nothing. I put away the clothes in the laundry bin. Thankfully, I didn't get the time to wash them for the next 4 to 5 days," she said, adding that she cannot imagine the situation if she washed the clothes and the incident had gone unnoticed. The child now complains of bad dreams. More signs The child's father told Gulf News: "We have gone through hell. We have met people who wanted to brush this under the carpet and those who genuinely wanted to help us." The second sign for the mother was when the child passed urine in her clothes. "We were visiting a family friend when it happened. My daughter asked my friend not to tell me about it and looked scared," the mother said. "It seemed strange to me, since we hardly scold her." Two days later, when the family went to a park, the child dropped a mobile phone and looked petrified when she picked it up. "The culprit must have threatened the child is what I gather now," the mother said. Although the mother raised her concerns with the father, he dismissed it. "At that point, I felt no one on earth could do something so heinous to an innocent child," the father said. But the mother made it a point to visit a gynaecologist the next day with the soiled clothes. The girl had worn casual clothes on the day, since the school was celebrating children's day. "The doctor confirmed my worst fear. It was semen on her dress," the mother said. The same night the family flew to India to seek medical attention. The parents reported the matter to police only on January 11, two months later. "We should have gone to the police earlier. But at the time my priority was to protect my child. I did not want her to go through the trauma again. "I have got tremendous support from the police. Today I feel differently — I should have gone to them earlier," the father told Gulf News. The father said that he does not blame GEMS, which runs the school, or the transportation company for the incident. "We approached GEMS on January 5 and they encouraged us to report the matter to police. We blame the culprits only. We want justice for our daughter," the father said. Abuse of children 27 December 2010 A worker admits in court that he kissed a nine-year-old girl on her lips like a daughter. 23 December 2010 Two Emirati men face six months in jail after a court convicted them of attacking a 13-year-old schoolboy with a Taser gun before molesting him. 23 December 2010 An Emirati student faces four months in jail for taking his compatriot schoolgirl into his friend’s bedroom and kissing her while sleeping, ruled a court. 21 December 2010 Dubai Court of First Instance sentenced a Bangladeshi cleaner to six months’ imprisonment after he was found guilty of molesting a nine-year-old girl inside the women’s washroom at Dubai Festival City. 30 November 2010 Prosecutors accused a 36-year-old Indian blacksmith of consuming liquor and sexually molesting a 15-year-old Moroccan girl aboard a flight. 17 October 2010 A Pakistani mechanic is accused of exposing himself in front of a ten-year-old schoolgirl and molesting her at Dubai’s Mina Al Seyahi. 7 July 2010 A guard is jailed for five years after a court convicted him of molesting a girl in a coma. 20 June 2010 Dubai Court sentences an unemployed Indian man to one year in jail for molesting a five- year-old boy in an elevator. 30 May 2010 A teacher faces three years in jail after a court convicted him of molesting a 12-year-old Emirati schoolgirl in her family home. 25 June 2009 A 10-year-old girl is allegedly molested at Madinat Zayed Shopping Centre in Abu Dhabi. The girl said that a man approached her and started touching her inappropriately. 31 May 2007 Dubai Court of First Instance sentences a 24-year-old school gardener to 25 years in jail for attempting to rape and molest a seven-year-old boy. Police will not dismiss rape case due to delay http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/police-will-not-dismiss-rape-case-due-to-delay-1.747466 'Dubai Police accept complaints of sexual abuse or rape no matter when they happened' Dubai: Dubai Police will not dismiss crimes of a serious nature, such as sexual abuse or rape, even if they are reported late, officials assured, urging residents to reach out to police if they are ever in need. "Dubai Police accept complaints of sexual abuse or rape no matter when they happened. It doesn't matter if the incident occurred three months or three years ago, the victim can still come forward and file a complaint at any police station," Brigadier Khalil Ebrahim Al Mansouri, Director of the CID at Dubai Police, told Gulf News in an interview. His comments came after parents of a 4 year old waited two months before reporting that she was raped by three men on her school bus. The incident happened on November 11 and was reported to Dubai Police on January 9. The case is still being investigated by police, as forensic experts have yet to give a report based on the forensic samples extracted from the clothes worn by the child on the day the alleged incident happened. Forensic evidence "We are still investigating the forensic evidence and the case has been referred to the public prosecution. The three suspects already confessed to their acts as well," said Al Mansouri. The Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is the government body whose guidelines govern the policies in Dubai on safety of children on buses. According to the RTA, their guidelines issued in 2008 do not specify that buses transporting female students need to employ female attendants. Rape suspects have confessed to crime, police say http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/crime/rape-suspects-have-confessed-to-crime-police-say-1.747469 Dubai: The bus driver accused of raping a four-year-old girl on a school bus was employed with the school and its transportation service provider for 14 years, Gulf News has learnt. The conductor of the bus, among the three suspects arrested by the police, was with the school for seven years. The third suspect is a conductor of another bus going on a different route. According to the Dubai Police, the Indian child, a pupil of Modern High School, Nad Al Sheba, was allegedly raped by the three suspects on November 11, and later dropped off at her home in Karama. Although the parents were aware of the incident right away, they hesitated in reporting and only notified the matter to police on January 9, officials said. The suspects, all Indians aged 26, 37 and 44, have confessed to the crime, according to police, and are now in custody pending investigation. The alleged incident took place when the child was taking the school bus home. Transportation has been outsourced by GEMS to School Transport Service (STS), a company partly owned by GEMS management. Both the conductors were school employees while the driver worked with the transport provider. Responding to the claims of the parents that their child was raped by three people, one after the other, GEMS said: "The safety of all children at GEMS is our highest priority and any allegation of this nature is greatly disturbing." The bus company involved transports 44,000 students every day and this is the first allegation of the kind, GEMS said. The school was approached by the parents on January 5. The school then advised the parents to report the matter immediately. They suspended the suspects pending investigation and handed over two of the suspects to the police. According to STS, the transportation provider, they are already taking more safety measures than what is mandated by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA). An STS spokesman told Gulf News that last year they installed Global Positioning Systems (GPS) in all buses and also introduced electronic student attendance systems to track student's entry and exit from buses. Employee screening "The GPS on the particular bus showed no anomaly on the day of the alleged incident," the spokesman for STS said. "As per school records, the second conductor was not on the bus used by the victim." He added that they employ people after screening them for criminal record with Indian police. Modern High School charges Dh2,600 as school fees every month for kindergarten students. The bus fees range between Dh400 to Dh500 per month, which is comparatively higher than what many schools charge. -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "newsline" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/newsline?hl=en?hl=en http://www.newstower.blogspot.com/
