- JEDDAH: A three-judge panel from the Jeddah general court has postponed for two weeks its decision on a 43-year-old schoolteacher’s request for bail after he was accused of raping eight girls, Al-Madinah newspaper reported on Thursday quoting court sources.
- The victims were aged six to 12.
The court held a session on Wednesday, during which it discussed with the defendant five charges against him.
The schoolteacher has denied all accusations against him. He said some of the crimes that he was accused of took place while he was out of the country.
The defendant also challenged the results of DNA tests linking him to the crimes and asked the court to bring in a victim who is believed to have told police the man who raped her was black. He also said a man shown in photos taken by surveillance cameras at malls was not him.
During the session, the defendant's lawyer read out his 20-page reply to the charges prepared by the Prosecution and Investigation Commission (PIC) against his client.
The accused was brought to the court under heavy guard and was not allowed to talk to anyone outside the court.
The schoolteacher was accused of raping and terrorizing eight underage girls, taking them to his home by force, raping them, making some of them drink alcohol and watch pornographic clips and finally dumping them on the streets.
The evidence against him included DNA tests, testimonies of the victims and photos taken by surveillance cameras.
The sources said releasing the defendant on bail was left to the discretion of the judges but in case he was granted bail, his movements will be restricted.
