Model found dumped on Dubai roadside reveals horrific abuse
Maria Kovalchuk, 20, had been missing for eight days when passersby found her with a broken spine and limbs on March 19 amid fears she had been kidnapped into 'sexual slavery'.
There was concern she was a victim of a notorious 'Porta Potty party' — where rich men reportedly pay large sums to abuse and degrade attractive young women. Ms Kovalchuk was in Dubai when she was subjected to horrific abuse. Credit: instagram/ae3marylu / supplied
Ms Kovalchuk, who is from Ukraine, spent time in hospital in a coma and undergoing multiple surgeries and is now continuing her recovery in Norway where her mother lives.
Her ordeal began when she checked out of her hotel room and missed a flight from Dubai to Thailand.
In an interview with Russian TV station Ostorozhno, Novosti, Ms Kovalchuk, who was in a wheelchair, said she bumped into a Russian man she had met once before at a karaoke bar.
The man, who was with three friends, a man and two women, offered to help, telling her she could stay in his room and they could fly to Thailand together in his private jet.
Ms Kovalchuk said the first day 'everything was fine' but phoned her mum to let her know the new arrangement just to be safe.
The next day, though, the men were drinking heavily and started to act aggressively and confiscated her personal belongings, including her passport.
'They were drinking very strong alcohol, like whiskey. They started to tease me, like, why don't I drink,' Ms Kovalchuk said.
'Then there were some aggressive pushes, they started to joke: 'You belong to us. We'll do whatever we want'.
'I tried to take it as a joke, because it was really weird. They started behaving inappropriately, smashing bottles on the floor.' Maria Kovalchuk is now recovering in Norway. Credit: instagram/ae3marylu / supplied
The men 'hinted' they wanted to have sex with her but she rejected their advances. Worried, Ms Kovalchuk tried to escape but she was dragged back to the room.
Later, she managed to escape the hotel, fleeing in a hotel robe and hiding at a nearby construction site. She doesn't remember what happened next and the CCTV footage has been scrubbed but says she knew the men were 'coming for her'.
'Most likely, there was a blow to the head, I suppose. The next scene (that) I remember is me asking for help from a passing car, which had already stopped and called an ambulance and the police.'
'I think that maybe I was thrown. Or it was a beating. One of two options, the injuries looked like either a beating or a fall.'
Two men identified by Ms Kovalchuk were interviewed by police but released after one day without charge.
Ms Kovalchuk said Dubai authorities had paid for her medical treatment, in exchange she claims she was asked not to say anything that painted Emirates authorities in a bad light.
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