Dubai Appeals Court Confirms One-Year Jail Term and Deportation Order for Man.
Dubai: The Dubai Court of Appeal has confirmed a one-year prison sentence and subsequent deportation for a man found guilty of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl. The court determined that the available evidence adequately supported the conviction and rejected the defence’s request for acquittal or a lighter punishment.
Although the appeal was accepted on procedural grounds, the court dismissed it on its merits, allowing the original ruling to remain in effect.
According to court records, the defendant exploited the minor’s age by lying next to her on a bed beneath the same blanket, resting his head on her chest and placing an arm around her shoulder. The incident was investigated by Al Qusais Police Station.
Prosecutors charged the man with sexually assaulting a minor under Articles 126(1) and 407(1–3) of Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 concerning Crimes and Penalties, as amended by Federal Decree-Law No. 36 of 2022.
Defence Appeals Conviction and Sentence
The court of first instance had sentenced the defendant to one year in prison, followed by deportation from the UAE. It also directed that the related civil claim be considered separately by the appropriate civil court, with legal costs to be determined in accordance with the initial judgment.
During a hearing held behind closed doors, the defendant maintained his innocence. His legal representative requested that the conviction be overturned, arguing that the prosecution had failed to present sufficient evidence to establish the offence or demonstrate criminal intent.
Alternatively, the defence sought a reduction in the prison sentence. The Public Prosecution challenged these arguments and urged the appeals court to maintain the original judgment.
Appeals Court Finds Evidence Sufficient to Uphold Conviction
Following an examination of the case documents, the Dubai Court of Appeal concluded that the lower court had appropriately evaluated the evidence and delivered a judgment supported by valid legal reasoning.
The material considered by the court included statements provided by the defendant during Public Prosecution questioning, testimony from the minor’s parents during the investigation, and forensic findings prepared by the General Department of Forensic Science and Criminology.
The Dubai Court of Appeal determined that the combined evidence presented in the case was sufficient to sustain the conviction. It dismissed the defence’s claims that the legal requirements of the offence had not been proven, pointing out that the lower court had already considered and addressed those arguments.
The judges found no flaws in the original court’s legal reasoning or evaluation of the evidence. They further noted that the defence had failed to introduce any fresh evidence or valid legal arguments that could warrant reversing the conviction or reducing the punishment. As a result, the appeals court endorsed the findings and reasoning of the court of first instance.
The defendant will serve the one-year prison sentence, after which the deportation order will take effect. The associated civil claim will be handled separately by the court with the appropriate jurisdiction.
