A British tourist has been arrested in Dubai on
charges of extramarital sex after telling police a group of British nationals
raped her in the United Arab Emirates, according to a UK-based legal advice group
called Detained in Dubai."This is tremendously disturbing," Radha
Stirling, the group's founder and director, said in a statement. "Police
regularly fail to differentiate between consensual intercourse and violent
rape.
"Victims go to them expecting justice, and end
up being prosecuted. They not only invalidate their (victimization); they
actually punish them for it." A UK Foreign Office spokeswoman said she
could not discuss specific details, saying: "We are supporting a British
woman in relation to this case and will remain in contact with her
family." It is understood that the Foreign Office is also in contact with
two other British nationals.
The press office for the British Consulate in Dubai
said it was supporting a British woman and her family, adding: "We have
raised the case with the UAE Government, and would like to see it progress as
quickly as possible."
Dubai is one of seven emirates that make up the
United Arab Emirates, UAE . According to ‘Detained in Dubai’, the woman was
"gang-raped" by the British nationals. Stirling said the woman had
been released on bail but had her passport confiscated.
If convicted of consensual sex, the woman faces
anywhere from a month to three years behind bars, followed by deportation,
according to Faisal Alzarooni, a criminal defense lawyer who represents clients
who've been charged with both rape and consensual sex in Dubai.
"The police or prosecution may have traces, but
not necessarily evidence, that it was consensual sex. For example, if the rape
was in a hotel room, if they saw on CCTV cameras that they (the accuser and the
alleged attackers) walked together out of the room, they might think this is
not rape in this case," Alzarooni said. The Government of Dubai Media
Office told CNN on Saturday it had no comment on the case. A spokesman for
Dubai police said he was unable to comment because the case was before the
courts.
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