Qatar convicts Dutch woman held 'after being raped'

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Frazzled**

From the "Wait? What? You have to be joking!" files:

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-36516006

Qatar convicts Dutch woman held 'after being raped'

Image caption Sexual acts by non-married people are punishable under Qatar's penal code

A court in Qatar has convicted a Dutch woman of having sex outside marriage after she told police she was raped.

The 22-year-old was handed a suspended sentence and fined $824 (£580). She will also be deported.

Her lawyer said her drink had been spiked at a Doha hotel in March and she had woken up in a stranger's flat, where she realised she had been raped.

Her alleged attacker, who said the sex was consensual, was sentenced to 100 lashes for having sex outside marriage.

He will be given a further 40 lashes for consuming alcohol.

The woman has been detained since making the allegation three months ago, but her case only came to light over the weekend when her family decided to go public.
'Horror'

The Dutch ambassador to Qatar, Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud, said after Monday's court hearing that she expected the woman to leave Qatar within days.

"We will do everything to get her out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go," she told AFP news agency.

Court officials said she would be deported once the fine was paid.

The woman was arrested by Qatari police immediately after reporting that she had been raped on the night of 15 March, as was the alleged assailant.

During a holiday in the emirate, she went out with a friend for drinks at a hotel where the sale of alcohol was permitted, according to her lawyer Brian Lokollo.

"She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink, she realised someone had added something to her glass," he said.

The woman did not feel very well and she later woke alone in an unfamiliar flat and "realised to her great horror that she had been raped", Mr Lokollo added.

Doha-based lawyer Najeeb al-Nuaimi, Qatar's former justice minister, told the Qatar-based broadcaster Al Jazeera the woman's lawyers would have had to prove there had been "no voluntary actions" between her and the man for him to be charged with rape.

Even if they had been seen walking together, the authorities might have doubts any sexual activity was non-consensual and instead prosecute both for having sex outside marriage, which is known as "zina" under Islamic law, Mr Nuaimi said.

Article 281 of Qatar's penal code states: "Whoever copulates with a female over 16 without compulsion, duress or ruse shall be punished with imprisonment for a term up to seven years. The same penalty shall also be imposed on the female for her consent."

According to media reports, dozens of people convicted of zina have been given flogging sentences since 2004, including at least 45 between 2009 and 2011.

The case of the Dutch woman raises further questions about how the Qatari authorities will deal with the thousands of Western tourists expected to travel to the country for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, many of whom may be unfamiliar with its laws.

In 2013, a Norwegian woman in the United Arab Emirates was given a 16-month prison sentence for perjury, extramarital sex and drinking alcohol after she told police she had been raped. She was later pardoned and allowed to return to Norway.

**Mr Morden**

Only good thing is the rapist gets 140 lashes................

Guess its on the back - unless they are really cruel

**OrlandotheTechnicoloured**

Reprehensible,

and a good reason for knowing the laws of where you plan to go abroad (and for governments to know then too and offer appropriate advice to tourists)

and of course staying away from Qtar and the world cup

**BrotherGecko**

He isn't being lashed for rape though, just sex out of wedlock and consumption of alochol.

**Frazzled**

OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Reprehensible,

and a good reason for knowing the laws of where you plan to go abroad (and for governments to know then too and offer appropriate advice to tourists)

and of course staying away from Qtar and the world cup

Qatar is going to have the world cup? Isn't it a little...er hot there? Like 125 F kind of hot?

**feeder**

JEBUS FETHING CHRIST.

What part of "drugged" allows for consent?

And we let this government buy the biggest part of the beautiful game?

**Prestor Jon**

feeder wrote:
JEBUS FETHING CHRIST.

What part of "drugged" allows for consent?

And we let this government buy the biggest part of the beautiful game?

We also work diligently to keep the current regime in power as they are a useful ally and deliberately look the other way as they continue to run their society in a backwards medieval manner.

**Ahtman**

Frazzled wrote:
Qatar is going to have the world cup? Isn't it a little...er hot there? Like 125 F kind of hot?

That they are getting the world cup has been used as an example for how corrupt FIFA is several times, and yes it is quite hot.

**welshhoppo**

It's a sad world we live in.

And yes, it is so hot that I believe the cup is taking place in December. European teams be damned.

**redleger**

well shuria law doesn't even surprise me anymore. Feel bad for the woman. Hope she gets out of there without any more issues.

**Breotan**

Sharia law in action.

**yellowfever**

I mean lots of examples of sharia law exist. This shouldn't suprise anyone.

**Prestor Jon**

yellowfever wrote:
I mean lots of examples of sharia law exist. This shouldn't suprise anyone.

I think it's more surprising that in the current social environment in the West that those kind of behaviors under Sharia law are deliberately overlooked when it comes to geopolitics and economics.

**Spetulhu**

Yup, they could maybe think about moving forwards a bit sometimes soon. We might still have some people trying to blame the victim here too, but at least we don't follow the Old Testament on those things. Always a favorite when people point at the "stone the rapist to death" part but have no idea the next part said to kill the woman for adultery if no one had heard her cry for help (in the city - in the countryside even the bible gave her the benefit of a doubt).

**Kilkrazy**

Frazzled wrote:
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Reprehensible,

and a good reason for knowing the laws of where you plan to go abroad (and for governments to know then too and offer appropriate advice to tourists)

and of course staying away from Qtar and the world cup

Qatar is going to have the world cup? Isn't it a little...er hot there? Like 125 F kind of hot?

Yes. The whole thing is a sick joke. It's so obvious that money changed hands to get the cup to Quatar. It's not a footballing nation and from things like the above story it won't be hospitable to loads of international fans either.

I hope a lot of countries will boycott the event. Otherwise let's have Olympic robot jockey camel racing on ice in the Winter Olympics.

**Desubot**

Mr Morden wrote:
Only good thing is the rapist gets 140 lashes................

Guess its on the back - unless they are really cruel

Well unless he was into that sort of thing

Jebus though. this is terrible.

**Prestor Jon**

Kilkrazy wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Reprehensible,

and a good reason for knowing the laws of where you plan to go abroad (and for governments to know then too and offer appropriate advice to tourists)

and of course staying away from Qtar and the world cup

Qatar is going to have the world cup? Isn't it a little...er hot there? Like 125 F kind of hot?

Yes. The whole thing is a sick joke. It's so obvious that money changed hands to get the cup to Quatar. It's not a footballing nation and from things like the above story it won't be hospitable to loads of international fans either.

I hope a lot of countries will boycott the event. Otherwise let's have Olympic robot jockey camel racing on ice in the Winter Olympics.

There was a lot of talk about boycotting or protesting the Olympics in Sochi due to Russia being a terrible place for homosexuals and not respecting their human and civil rights. Then when the olympics happened nobody seemed to care enough to actually do any protesting. The World Cup will probably be similar. Lots of talk on social media about how horrible Qatar is but nobody wanting to run afoul of the Qatari police by protesting at the World Cup and no country willing to boycott to make a point.

**Frazzled**

Did anyone but the athletes go to Sochi?

**A Town Called Malus**

Prestor Jon wrote:

There was a lot of talk about boycotting or protesting the Olympics in Sochi due to Russia being a terrible place for homosexuals and not respecting their human and civil rights. Then when the olympics happened nobody seemed to care enough to actually do any protesting. The World Cup will probably be similar. Lots of talk on social media about how horrible Qatar is but nobody wanting to run afoul of the Qatari police by protesting at the World Cup and no country willing to boycott to make a point.

Well, the German Olympic team did wave a rainbow flag during the opening ceremony but apart from that, yeah there was a lot of talk but not a lot of action.

**Prestor Jon**

A Town Called Malus wrote:
Prestor Jon wrote:

There was a lot of talk about boycotting or protesting the Olympics in Sochi due to Russia being a terrible place for homosexuals and not respecting their human and civil rights. Then when the olympics happened nobody seemed to care enough to actually do any protesting. The World Cup will probably be similar. Lots of talk on social media about how horrible Qatar is but nobody wanting to run afoul of the Qatari police by protesting at the World Cup and no country willing to boycott to make a point.

Well, the German Olympic team did wave a rainbow flag during the opening ceremony but apart from that, yeah there was a lot of talk but not a lot of action.

I don't hold it against anyone, I wouldn't want to do anything to potentially get me thrown into jail in Russia either but it was surprising that for all the talk about it that nothing came of it.

**oldravenman3025**

Moral of the story? Don't go to Islamic countries.

I know I have no desire to go back to the Middle East anytime soon. It's been 26 years since Uncle Sam made me go the last time. And time hasn't done anything to increase my desire for a return visit.

**Relapse**

Kilkrazy wrote:
Frazzled wrote:
OrlandotheTechnicoloured wrote:
Reprehensible,

and a good reason for knowing the laws of where you plan to go abroad (and for governments to know then too and offer appropriate advice to tourists)

and of course staying away from Qtar and the world cup

Qatar is going to have the world cup? Isn't it a little...er hot there? Like 125 F kind of hot?

Yes. The whole thing is a sick joke. It's so obvious that money changed hands to get the cup to Quatar. It's not a footballing nation and from things like the above story it won't be hospitable to loads of international fans either.

I hope a lot of countries will boycott the event. Otherwise let's have Olympic robot jockey camel racing on ice in the Winter Olympics.

I'd boycott the games because of all the slaves that have died creating the venue. Sentencing women because they were raped is just the cherry on top of the turd.

**Soladrin**

Fething barbarian countries.

**Dreadwinter**

The only surprise here is that they are letting her leave the country.

I don't expect much from a slave state that bribed their way in to holding the World Cup.

**Future War Cultist**

feth Qatar, feth Saudi Arabia, feth Iran, feth all of them.

**Kojiro**

oldravenman3025 wrote:

Moral of the story? Don't go to Islamic countries.

Now now, I'm sure it's purely a cultural thing, that in no way, shape or form draws any inspiration from the glorious religion of peace known as Islam.

The backwards ass view that sex should only be permitted between married couples? Nothing to do with Islam.

The backwards ass idea that a woman's testimony is worth less than a man's*? Nothing to do with Islam.

I'm honestly sick of hearing such bad news. My brain flicks between angry and just sad for the world.

*this is why it's sex outside marriage and not rape. His word vs hers, but hers doesn't count for as much. Ergo when he says it was consensual his word trumps hers.

**plastictrees**

Dreadwinter wrote:
The only surprise here is that they are letting her leave the country.

I don't expect much from a slave state that bribed their way in to holding the World Cup.

I'm guessing that they wouldn't be so 'lenient' if they werent hosting the World Cup. They assume that more people are paying attention to how they treat visitors.

**TheMeanDM**

Don't go to middle eastern islamic countries....is that more accurate?

It does seem that the countries over there make the most noise. Pacific/Pan-Pacific and Asian countries with Islamic influence seem to not have such public issues (discounting India, Pakistan as middle east still).

**Smacks**

To play devil's advocate for a moment: rape is a notoriously difficult crime to prove. He could just as easily have gotten away with it in America... like if he'd been on a college football team (for example).

We're all assuming that the guy is guilty, but putting aside whatever prejudices we might have about Islamic culture, even we don't convict people based on assumptions, and we don't know all the details. Also, from their perspective: a promiscuous loose-moraled western-woman, who indulges in alcohol, goes around without a male chaperone, and her hair uncovered like a whore... is it really a surprise she had credibility issues there? We would have the same biases here if the accuser was some trailer-trash crack junky.

In the absence of a rape conviction, it actually sounds like they did the best that they could with their legal system. /devil's advocate.

**Inquisitor Lord Bane**

She says she was drugged. Did they test her?