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Dubai: An appeal against a 15-year jail term handed to two men found guilty of having forceful sex with a French schoolboy will be taken to the UAE's highest court soon.
The Emiratis' 15-year jail sentence was confirmed yesterday after Presiding Judge Eisa Al Sharif at Dubai Court of Appeal upheld the initial ruling.
Defence lawyer Saeed Al Ghailani, of Saeed Al Ghailani Advocates and Legal Consultants, told Gulf News: "Definitely we will appeal before Dubai Cassation Court soon".
A Dubai Government spokesperson in this case, Dr Habib Al Mulla, of Dr Habib Al Mulla and Co Advocates and Legal Consultants, said the sentence was in accordance with the practice in most countries in respect to similar crimes.
He reiterated: "The judgment proves the position that we have continuously been making which is that we should leave the system to take its course."
"We hope that the judgment confirms to everyone that our judicial system is fair, efficient and works in protecting the interests of all UAE residents, irrespective of their nationality," he told Gulf News.
The Public Prosecution charged I.M.,18, and A.K., 35, and whose reports confirmed he has Aids and Hepatitis, and their compatriot, I.S., 17, with deceiving and kidnapping the 15-year-old French-Swiss boy, A.R., and his compatriot, F.K., 16.
They were charged with forcefully undressing A.R., threatening him with a knife before having sex with him, while F.K. was kept outside the vehicle.
Medical reports
The boy's medical reports confirmed that he had not contracted Aids or Hepatitis.
An Appeal Court judge, who requested anonymity, told Gulf News "although the victim's results came back negative, this has nothing to do with the crime, charges, litigation and court proceedings".
The Appeal Court also upheld the referral of the victim's Dh15 million civil compensation claim to Dubai Civil Court.
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