Warning: This article contains allegations which some readers may find distressing.
A Ukrainian model who was beaten and left for dead on a Dubai roadside has revealed she will never return to the ‘dark’ country.
Maria Kovalchuk’s story made headlines last year after she vanished for a week after travelling to the luxury Middle Eastern destination, only to later be found beaten and bloodied by the side of the road.
The former OnlyFans model’s injuries were extensive, with Maria needing treatment for a
It was initially reported that she had attended one of Dubai’s infamous ‘porta potty’ parties and had sustained her extensive injuries after falling from a construction site, a story which Maria now says is false.
Speaking out about her experience in a new interview with MailOnline, Maria has accused Dubai officials of discrediting her story and vows never to return to the UAE.
The former OnlyFans model claims she was violently attacked by wealthy Russian and Belarusian expats (Instagram/mariia.kovalchuuk)
After she was taken to hospital, Maria claimed that she was admitted under a false identity and placed in an induced coma, leaving her family fearing for the worst after they were unable to locate her.
“Although they had my passport, they checked me in under a false identity,” she said.
“I was lying there under a different name, diagnosed with some kind of intestinal infection or something. They had me down as a 37-year-old.
“My mother searched for me for a very long time, but nobody knew where I was. In the end, a friend’s wife, who lives in Dubai, got involved and managed to find me. They identified me by a tattoo on my finger.”
Maria suffered extensive injuries, including a fracture in her spine, broken legs, a broken wrist and head trauma (Instagram/mariia.kovalchuuk)
Maria had previously alleged that her attackers were wealthy Russian and Belarusian nationals who lured her to a hotel room after she missed a connecting flight to Thailand.
Once she arrived at the room, Maria says the group became increasingly hostile after she refused to join in and drink alcohol, with one woman in the group taking all of her personal belongings.
Recalling her final moments before being attacked, she added: “Everything was a blur. I just ran.
“The next thing I remember is a sharp blow to my head. Then I remember briefly seeing a taxi driver who I called to for help before falling unconscious. After that, I woke up in the hospital.”
Now living in Norway, Maria is rebuilding her life as a makeup artist (Instagram/mariia.kovalchuuk)
During the remainder of her time in Dubai, Maria claims her story was repeatedly discredited by authorities, with CCTV footage going ‘missing’ and the four alleged attackers being released a day after they were detained.
“They were very aggressive, they came to interrogate me at night. They took my passport, took my phone, and tried to unblock it,” she alleged of her interactions with Dubai police.
To this day, nobody has faced justice over her attack.
“It’s a very dark place that seems like paradise but in reality everything is far from like that,” she said of the wealthy city.
“There is a lot of money circulating there and, behind this money, there are people, and it’s dangerous.”