Picture for illustrative purposes only. ARCHIVE

A 56-year-old teacher convicted of sexually abusing a 10-year-old girl in Dubai has been acquitted after a prosecution witness retracted his testimony. The Dubai Court of Appeal on Monday (June 27) overturned a judgement against the teacher after a witness changed his testimony. The teacher was earlier sentenced to six months in jail followed by deportation for sexually abusing the Emirati girl at a studio in Dubai where she was taking drama lessons. The man denied sexually abusing the child, saying the charge was just a malicious claim by the girl’s mother. The witness said he was “coerced by the child’s family” to say that he saw the child on the instructor’s lap, which he clarified “didn’t happen”. “They told me they knew people in power and will get me deported,” he said. The girl’s mother claimed that the teacher touched her daughter inappropriately. “But when I heard of the sentencing against him I felt like I had destroyed the family’s life and therefore came to tell the truth.” The teacher’s colleagues also testified to say that the alleged sexual abuse did not happen. Other witnesses also said that the girl was not present at the studio at the time of the alleged incident. The teacher’s lawyer said the girl’s mother framed the teacher after the latter rejected her advances. The lawyer provided the court with copies of provocative photos of the child’s mother that she allegedly sent to the teacher. A report provided to judges concluded that there was no indication to prove the girl was sexually abused. ICA/Expat Media
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