Dubai school bus driver jailed for kissing 5-year-old girl

A school bus driver, accused of molesting a 5-year-old schoolgirl in the bus, has been sentenced to one year in jail.

Public prosecution records show the incident happened on January 19 when the 26-year-old Pakistani man made the girl sit on his lap, hugged and kissed her while no one else was in the bus.

Even though he denied a molestation charge earlier in the Court of First Instance he was found guilty and ordered to be deported after serving his time in jail.

The little girl, an Egyptian, said the driver asked her to kiss him but she did not. He then held her hand and made her sit on his lap. He put his hand on her shoulder and kissed her on the cheek. He was then interrupted when her teacher came and took her out of the bus.

The girl's working mother, a 30-year-old Egyptian, said the girl told her about



the driver's behaviour when he was left alone with her in the bus upon her arrival from school.

The incident was reported by a 27-year-old Syrian assistant teacher of Arabic.

"It was around 1pm on January 19 at the end of the kindergarten school hours. I walked the girl to the bus and put her in the seat behind the driver. I left her there to attend to other kids. However, and while I was near the bus door I saw the driver sitting in the back with the little girl on his lap. I saw him kissing her. I went inside the bus and took the girl away from him and out of the bus. I reported him straight away to the administration office."

The driver was arrested on January 25 by the CID officers. He was referred to the Bur Dubai police station.

He has the right to appeal the court ruling within 15 days.