Bahrain court acquits man of sexually assaulting child saying "it lasted for only one second"

TDT | Manama     

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The Bahrain High Criminal Court confirmed that comments made by a child victim are treated with great caution by the law since they are based on inference and, according to the Code of Criminal Procedure, constitute mere accusations unless backed by proof.

This happened while acquitting a cold store worker of assaulting a child, who testified that the act lasted for only "one second".

The court stated that the social worker's report on the incident was inconsistent and that its conclusion in favour of the allegation was not explained. According to the defendant's legal counsel, his client denied the accusation.

Besides, the victim's own statement indicates that the act transpired within a second, with no evidence that the defendant committed the crime attributed to him intentionally. He further stated that indecent assault is inapplicable in this case since it occurred in a so-short amount of time, implying that the form of touch was accidental.

The defendant's counsel emphasised that all witnesses disputed the defendant's guilt, proving that the defendant is innocent of the accusation, which was intentionally concocted by the accuser. The court, for its part, stated that the accusation lacked proof.

It was further argued that the social worker's report contradicted the victim's story and lacked a rationale for its finding. As a result, the court absolved the defendant of the accusation.