DUBAI: Three Emirati men were handed one-month in jail for beating a pregnant woman at n Ikea cafeteria three years ago. They were also handed a DH12,000 fine for the incident involving a Canadian couple. According to The National, Emirati businessman A A, 52, and his brothers M A, 33, and E A, 43, on June 13, 2009, beat the woman and her husband after they sat at a table allegedly reserved for the men and their families. “A A approached us and told us that the table was booked as his three children were sitting on the other end,” the husband told the court. When the wife, who was pregnant, said she didn't want to move, the husband attempted to move her away and sit elsewhere, but the men attacked the couple. “I was punched in the back of the head and lost consciousness and woke to find three men kicking me and punching me on the floor and saw my wife bleeding from her legs profusely,” he told prosecutors. The National reported that a Syrian man had witnessed the incident and confirmed that he saw one of the men hitting the woman while the other two attacked the husband. Security guards called the Dubai Police in order to end the attack after they had failed. The couple were taken to Rashid Hospital, where the wife was also given treatment to prevent a miscarriage. The sentence has left many in the UAE angry over the extremely lenient terms, with many citizens pointing out that drug charges carry longer terms in jail that the assault of a pregnant woman. “I find it appalling to call myself an Emirati,” said Abdullah. “These people should be in jail for a long time, not just one month, but because they are Emiratis they are getting off without anything but a slap on the wrist. It is wrong.” BM ShortURL: http://goo.gl/HMbUv Tags: Assault, Dubai, Ikea Section: Latest News, United Arab Emirates, Women
