Judge cites lack of supporting evidence in parking lot dispute case Dubai: The Dubai Court of First Instance cleared a European woman of public indecency charges, finding that the prosecution’s evidence did not satisfy the legal requirement for conviction beyond a reasonable doubt. Delivered on October 15, 2025, the ruling absolved the defendant of charges that she had raised her middle finger at another European woman after a parking conflict in Dubai’s Business Bay earlier this year.
The court determined that the accusation was based only on the complainant’s statement, was not backed up by any tangible or recorded evidence, and was refuted by several defense witnesses. The court decided that doubt must be addressed in favor of the accused in accordance with Article 212 of the UAE Criminal Procedure Law, resulting in her complete acquittal. The specifics of the case According to court records, the European lady defendant and the European woman complainant, who was with her mother and nephew, got into a fight in the parking lot. The complainant claimed that the defendant’s vehicle was obstructing her way out. The defendant allegedly raised her middle finger after her husband allegedly opened her car door and yelled at her when she honked her horn.
Prosecutors charged the defendant under Federal Decree-Law No. 31 of 2021 on Crimes and Penalties, which makes acts that violate public decency illegal, after the complaint was submitted to the Bur Dubai Police Station. The Public Prosecution pursued the case despite the complainant’s formal withdrawal of her complaint on May 27, 2025, claiming its importance to public rights. Conflicting accounts During the hearing, the defendant refuted the accusation, telling the judge that she had been holding her infant and had simply indicated that she was unable to move right away by pointing to her stomach. The prosecution’s case, according to her defense team led by attorney Mohammed Abdullah Al Redha, was based only on “a single, unverified testimony,” and the defense called two witnesses who directly refuted the allegation:
According to a building security manager’s testimony, he personally watched the CCTV footage of the building and did not witness any offensive gestures. Additionally, a domestic worker who was with the defendant testified that no such gesture took place. The defense also pointed out that investigators never submitted or examined surveillance footage, which may have offered solid proof. procedural errors in the evidence used by the prosecution Citing procedural flaws, the court rejected the complainant’s mother’s testimony. Despite her lack of fluency in Arabic, she was questioned without a sworn interpreter, rendering her statement legally dubious. The judge observed that her testimony’s evidential value was diminished because it essentially restated her daughter’s assertions.
Legal judgment and reasoning The court reiterated the presumption of innocence, stressing that conviction in criminal matters necessitates certainty rather than suspicion or speculation. The decision said: “In criminal trials, it is sufficient for the court to have doubts about the veracity of the accusation against the accused in order to rule for their acquittal.”
The court determined that the prosecution had not proven guilt beyond a reasonable doubt after considering the evidence. The veracity of the allegation was seriously questioned due to the testimony of two defense witnesses and the lack of supporting documentation. As a result, the European woman defendant was completely exonerated by the Dubai Court of First Instance, which rendered its decision on October 15, 2025. The travel ban was then lifted, and it was formally lifted on October 30, 2025.
