British woman 'arrested in Dubai after reporting rape'

[gluteustothemaximus]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-38013351

Just don't even know what to say to this

If she has reported a rape surely the police understand that this was not her choosing to have extra marital sex? Or do they not acknowledge rape in Dubai?

I strongly suspect that her lack of intent doesn't matter to the law there and, yes, they do not acknowledge rape unless witnessed by two men of good reputation. (I remember that men's testimony counts twice as much as women's in those countries, which means that in a rape case, the man will automatically win, since it is highly unlikely that two decent men happen to witness everything without interfering.)

That, or they claim that her reporting the rape was an attempt to deceive them.

When dealing with misogynist males and governments, you have to let go of your preconceived notions that laws are, by their nature fair or just.
Where there is misogyny, common sense no longer matters.

Dubai is not a civilised place.

Nor is Germany, but there are degrees of lack of civilisation ...

What's the law regarding rape in Germany?

I often bemoan the situation here (NI) WRT women's rights but I suddenly feel extremely lucky to live where I do. Yes victim blaming still exists (massively) here but at least no one is arrested for reporting a rape. How terrifying.

I don't understand the logic behind this law. If she has reported a rape surely the police understand that this was not her choosing to have extra marital sex? Or do they not acknowledge rape in Dubai?

That's a good point. I can't think of an analogy in UK law. The closest would be
reporting you are being blackmailed for something which is a crime. For example a paedophile being blackmailed by their victim.

And that doesn't work because paedophile activity has no similar defence which extra marital sex should have.

Germany isn't civilised?

Expand...

With regards to Dubai, they are a Muslim city legally, and a city in which websites deemed offensive by the state are illegal. Blonde white women are a real delicacy (maybe wrong word), but they really are too enticing for men to not make a fuss of, which is disgracefull.

Prostitution is rife, and promoted by the government to keep mens urges down, despite not being allowed to look at a naked woman online!

You have to be extremely carefull, recently a guy was arrested in the airport because he slated Dubai online the previous year to visiting.

It does remind us of the real struggles we need to fight against however, and puts into perspective men offering their seat.

And of course a paedophile being blackmailed for their crimes are being blackmailed by their victim. Whereas even admitting you had consensual extra marital sex doesn't include a victim.

Because UAE still follow the same religion as the rest of Saudi, a place where if a women has been raped it is HER that has committed infidelity.

Ridiculous isn't it? I genuinely hope this woman gets the help and escapes the country.

I watched documentary about the terrible gang rape in India a while ago. A solicitor defending the offenders explained that to be convicted of rape it has to be proven that the woman was respectable (whatever the fuck that means), but respectable women aren't raped because they're respectable therefore the victim in that case wasn't raped because she obviously wasn't respectable. There really is no chance for women in countries like that.

Although I think there were convictions in the end for that case.

Really? You should cover different laws in every coyuntry???

If Turkey's major party gets its way, then being blackmailed for child rape not only won't be blackmailable, but will actually be legal if they marry their victim.

Fuck's sake Torygraph article.

DH is a lawyer and says his colleagues and been talking about this for 2days. Their conclusion was that she is guilty under their law even though we find their law abhorrent. Which it is, of course. He said the best thing would be a massive campaign/public backlash that majorly affected the tourist trade over there. Otherwise they won't give a damn what we think. He's probably right as she's unlikely to get much help from Theresa May as she won't want to upset the apple cart. Look how little (zero) help she's given to Nazanin Ratcliffe!

But rape is against your will, so she didn't commit a crime.

If they don't recognise rape as the crime here, then it is the man who should still be arrested and charged for the crime of extra marital sex, as she was forced against her will and not responsible. Surely?

No, in Dubai women are to be pure because they drive men to rape them if they aren't.

That kind of thinking has been prevalent in much of the world until relatively recently.

Didn't you know the poor men just can't control themselves?

She shouldn't have been where she was, shouldn't have been wearing what she was and shouldn't be doing what she was.

That's the rules in their heads

No, she had sex. It was against her will which in our eyes makes it rape, a crime. To them the fact she did not consent is an irrelevance. DH spent 2 hours trying to explain the technical difference to me. It's a disgrace but it's their law. She needs help to get home and young British women need to be educated about visiting such a cave.

Wow. That's crazy.

Are we (British government) helping her?

I feel very sorry for this woman, and cannot comprehend why anyone would visit Dubai if they had a choice not to. I hope the British government are working to get her home and charge the men

What's the law regarding rape in Germany?

Well, it was recently updated to no means no. Previously, apparently a woman had to physically fight back for her case to stand a chance in court, because a "threat of violence" was required for it to be considered rape. (I am not sure if it covers the rape of unconscious women even now. After all, an unconscious woman can't say "no".)

Also, groping a woman against her will was legal as long as she had not stated her unwillingness to be groped. (Which is bonkers, do you walk around telling all men who get within a metre distance of you that you don't want them to grope you?) This was, according to my knowledge, what lead to the law to be updated, because it was those creepy brown men who attacked women in a scandalous mass sexual assault. The regular sexual harrassment by German men wasn't enough to warrant a law change, it seems.

And of course there is this recent case where a woman was raped on video, saying "no", and this was interpreted as her saying "no" to the filming, but not the sex. (Which is utter nonsense; if she didn't consent to be filmed during sex, then her consent to the sex was void the second the man started to film.) The video seems to still be on the net, by the way, and she is now being accused of making false rape accusations.

There was also a case where a man who had raped his daughter over years and years walked free because she only fought back during the first ten rapes or so and that was already too long ago, and didn't try to fight back anymore during the rapes that fell in a timeframe when they could still be persecuted. (And this was incest, too, which I am pretty sure is illegal regardless, but somehow, the judge managed to let the rapist walk free or get away with a laughable sentence)

Those cases are only some few, but it is a disgrace that such a thing can happen at all.

That's what I mean by "not civilised".

Much, much better than Dubai, of course.

But I will only consider a country civilised if justice is guaranteed. A country cannot guarantee absolute safety, but there should be justice.

It's just abhorrent, and sickening. I recall their was a similar case in Qatar recently. In that case the woman was convicted and served a jail sentence.

There is no way on earth I will ever choose to holiday in a country that doesn't grant people like me basic human rights. These places are sold as luxury destinations, but their laws and approach to human rights are nothing short of barbaric.

www.newstatesman.com/middle-east/2013/07/shocking-case-marte-dalelv-shows-why-we-should-be-boycotting-dubai

www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-36516006

I remember the case in Qatar. I have a friend who moved there recently with her husband and their teenage daughters - I just find it incomprehensible why anyone would want to bring up a daughter in that environment. Still can't get my head round it.