The Evening Post

Sep 8, 2010

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Musabih acquitted of criminal charges by Dubai court

By Veena Kuruvilla
veena@eveningpost.ae
City of Hope founder was accused of assaulting a minor from the shelter

Dubai The Court of First Instance has acquitted a prominent social activist of the criminal charges that have been lodged against her.
Sharla Musabih, one of the founders of City of Hope, the city’s only shelter for women, was being tried on the charges of assaulting a minor who once resided at the shelter.
Upon hearing the verdict, Musabih said, “A 15-year old girl has been used to put a case against the shelter. It was just another conspiracy to shut the shelter down and it was baseless. I am a very transparent person and everyone knows what is going on.”
It may be recalled that the incident dates back to August 7 when the minor and her friend tried to flee from the shelter past 10.30 p.m. with a group of men who failed to identify themselves. Musabih, who arrived at the scene a little later, was accompanied by police.
The case first erupted on October 4 after the minor pressed charges against Musabih, accusing her of assault. Of the four hearings that took place since, the minor appeared in the court once. At the last hearing on November 26, Musabih presented her witnesses who testified that the alleged assault did not take place.
All attempts to contact the minor, who now resides at a residential school for children with special needs, have proved futile. Nadia Al Sayegh, under whose care the minor has been entrusted by Public Prosecution, was unavailable for comment.