Another thing to add to the list of reasons why the UK really should look at our relationship with the United Arab Emirates and advise women not to travel there. An Australian woman is suing her Government for not receiving advice before being jailed:



She was drugged and raped FFS and yet was imprisoned for adultery and drinking without a permit. The Austalian Embassy did not advise her that by reporting sexual assault a woman can be imprisoned.

The UAE often just hover under the radar because they're 'friends' but, seriously, if nothing else we should advise women in the UK not to travel there, ever.

Sexual, age and religious discrimination in a nutshell. Way to go UAE.

She probably exposed herself indecently and caused the entire situation by not doing her research. FFS why is it someone else's responsibility to educate her when it was her choice to go there?

Lets face it, if a sexy women walks naked into a drunken Australian rugby club victory party it's probably a comparable incentive to a foreign woman not wearing a bag on her head in the UAE. We're not all British, you know. There's an entire world of different cultures out there, and ignorance is no defence in law.

I do not condone their policies, but then I don't condone a lot of things...

I wonder what would happen if an Arab man reported that he'd been raped by a gang of Catholic priests..?

The events leading up to the rape are not really the issue here. The point is that the embassy didn't inform her that she faced the possibility of going to jail if she reported it.

With a family containing relatives from Iran to Australia I'm well aware of that. Attempting to be patronising is never an attractive quality, especially when it's based on misunderstanding and selective quoting.


I think you missed the point, Matt's post highlights it.

I'm sure that if I were to go to a middle east country (and indeed any other country), I'd sure as hell make sure I had read up on their laws, rules etc prior to going. IMO a large portion of the onus is on her. However, the when she went to the Embassy, they should have advised her of the possible consequences.

I would imagine that you don’t ask yourself “what would happen if I get raped?” before setting off on a jaunt. You certainly don’t expect to be thrown into prison for being a victim of such a crime.

If I was going to somewhere like UAE, then yes I'd read up on the laws etc. but only because of the number of stories like this that have come out of there that just beggar belief.

One of many reasons why I never intend to go to an Arab country.

whenever I travel I check out all of the warnings from the government and third parties to make myself aware of the risks in that area. That normally covers everything to do with prevention. In the event of anything legal occuring my first port of call would be the UK embassy or commission for advice. I doubt I'm in the minority.

It does not worry me so much but I am very aware of problems in some countries like Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Dubia has imprisoned people for eating a seeded bun. The seeds were poppy seed and even though they were not narcotic because you would need billions of seeds to get slightly high and they convicted on the basis of single seeds being found in trouser turn-ups.

Fasion Police.

On ðe oðer hand, Britain has arrested and detained people for walking down a paþ and shouting out at a conference of ðe governing party. Add in to ðat the various stories of conviction people based on ðe testimony of one very biased doctor.

Perhaps we should remove ðe plank from our own eye first?

Off topic : RB, there appears to be something deeply wrong with your keyboard...

Nope.

Just writing in actual English.