Lunch date turns into brutal assault: man gets five years

TDT | Manama

Email: mail@newsofbahrain.com

A 42-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in prison for kidnapping a woman after inviting her to his apartment for lunch. The High Appeals Court upheld the original sentence issued by a lower court, where the man was also convicted of assault and robbery. According to the victim’s testimony, upon arriving at the man’s apartment, he locked the door, confiscated her phones— throwing one of them from the balcony—and stole her purse, which contained a silver necklace, a silver lighter, and another phone.

He then attacked her, striking her approximately 15 times on the head and body with a metal rod.In a desperate attempt to save her life, the victim fled to the kitchen, grabbed a knife, and barricaded herself in the bathroom. However, the defendant broke down the door, disarmed her, and continued the assault, kicking and hitting her with a glass water bottle.

He then confined her to the apartment’s balcony for about two hours. During this time, a hotel security guard, alerted by a tenant who had heard the woman’s cries for help, approached the apartment. The guard found the defendant sweating, with his clothes soiled, and the victim visibly bruised and distressed. Despite the victim’s attempts to signal for help, the defendant dismissed the guard’s concerns and forced him to leave. Police were eventually contacted.

Upon their arrival, the defendant answered the door holding a Quran, dressed in medical attire, and carrying an iron cane. He claimed the victim was his wife and that he was treating her with the Quran. Initially, he refused to allow police to speak with her, stating that she didn’t speak to men. However, he eventually allowed her to come to the door, where visible bruises indicated the severity of the situation.

The following day, the security guard reported seeing the defendant spraying water throughout the apartment, further prompting police involvement. Although the victim initially hesitated to fully report the incident due to her lack of residency permits, she eventually provided a full account of the ordeal.