Groper follows girl, mom for 2 hours

A Syrian businessman allegedly groped a girl after following her and her mother for two hours while they were shopping in a cooperative society, the Dubai Criminal Court heard.

On December 1, DM, 36, Egyptian teacher, had accompanied her daughter to the cooperative society for shopping.

While she was in the grocery section, a man approached the teacher and asked her which were  the best tomatoes.

“I answered him and continued shopping, while my daughter was taking the bags to the weighing counter. Then I noticed the same man walking behind us during our two-and-a-half hour stay in the cooperative society,” she said.

When the teacher and her daughter went to the cashier, the same man was behind them and he had only bread and a bag of fruit in his hands, the teacher noticed.

When they finished, they put their purchases in the car and the mother asked her daughter to return the trolley to the specified place outside while she drove to her daughter.

“My daughter rushed into the car and looked very worried and confused. Asking her about the reason, she told me that a man had groped her. I got off the car, entered the store, and asked the security to review camera footage. I saw that the man was following us all around the society and outside its premises. However, there was no camera in the trolley area,” she said.

The girl told her mother that the groper was the same man who was following them in the society.

The girl, whose age was not mentioned in the records, told prosecution that she first noticed the man in the grocery area.

“He was talking to a little girl while her mother was shopping and I was taking bags from my mother to weigh them. He continued following us until we reached the cashier. He was immediately behind me. When I stepped out, I stumbled with the trolley. I turned back and saw him showing his tongue to me. I thought he was laughing at me. After putting the purchases in the car, I pushed the trolley back to the specified place. When I noticed the same man behind me, I did not place the trolley inside the specified area. Then he told me to put it in which I did. When I tried to turn back, he blocked my way and groped my breast. I covered my breasts with my hands, pushed his hand down and ran away,” said the girl who saw her mother’s car at the gate and rushed into it.

Police arrested HM, 50, Syrian businessman, who admitted only to groping the girl’s back and shoulder.

The girl recognised the groper when shown to her via identification parade.

However, HM denied the accusation earlier before the court which will reconvene on March 27.

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