Rape Victims Criminalised in Qatar & the UAE. Victims of rape jailed for sex outside of marriag
A woman in Qatar has been arrested for sex outside of marriage, after having filed a rape complaint with police. It sounds unbelievable, but unfortunately this occurs with frequency; and over the years, we have dealt with several cases of victims of rape being arrested, interrogated, and in some cases, even convicted of having sex outside marriage. Some women served lengthy sentences, while the man only served a month or so.
Charging rape victims is beyond alarming, it is embarrassing to any nation that allows it. What a gross violation of fundamental human rights and an unimaginable emotional and physical assault. Women are not the only victims of this absurd practice, we have seen several men and even teenage boys who have been raped or beaten, usually by more than one assailant; and then criminalised with charges of homosexuality.
This practice and culture serves only to encourage rapists, with victims choosing not to report crime for fear of being jailed themselves.
Additional reading:
Arabian Business: Dutch woman detained in Qatar after reporting rape
The Guardian: UAE imprisoning rape victims under extramarital sex laws – investigation
BBC: Raped, pregnant and afraid of being jailed
Daily Mail: Norwegian woman who reported being raped in Dubai is jailed for 16 months
Huffington Post: Alicia Gali, Woman Who Spent 8 Months In UAE Jail After Being Raped, Tells Her Story
ABC News: 'They Destroyed Me': French Teen's Rape Case Exposes Dubai's Dark Side
