A Dutch woman is being detained in Qatar on suspicion of adultery after she told police she had been raped.
The 22-year-old, who was on holiday, was drugged in a Doha hotel and woke up in an unfamiliar flat, where she realised she had been raped, her lawyer says.
She was arrested in March on suspicion of having sex outside of marriage. She is due to appear in court on Monday.
The alleged rapist is also being held, but says the sex had been consensual.
A Dutch foreign ministry spokeswoman said the woman, who she named as Laura, had been arrested but not yet been charged.
"We have provided assistance to her since the first day of detention. For the sake of the defendant's case we will not make further comments at this point," the Dutch embassy said in a statement.
The woman had gone dancing at a hotel in Doha where alcohol was allowed, "but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink... she felt very unwell" and realised she had been drugged, her lawyer Brian Lokollo told Dutch broadcaster NOS-Radio1.
Her next memory was waking up in an unfamiliar apartment where she "realised to her great horror that she had been raped," Mr Lokollo added.
The woman may also be charged with an alcohol-related offence, news website Doha News reported.
It is an offence to drink alcohol or be drunk in public in Qatar, although alcohol is allowed at certain hotels and expatriates can obtain a permit for purchasing alcohol.
In 2013, a Norwegian woman in neighbouring 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.
BBC reportage.
*Na wah oh,what a country to live in!
Hmmm and this is where my bf wants to travel to work. God help us
ReplyDeleteIf every country practiced what is done in countries like Dubai, the world would have been a better place... Women destroying the world since days of Adam and eve
ReplyDeleteIdiot
DeleteYou're just being stepped. Ode oshi
DeleteSomebody was raped and they are arresting her for adultery?? What is really happening here?? And tbis one is making such a dumb comment... I'm just tired at the unfair way women are treated honestly!
DeleteLook at them...u people are very evil manipulators that are only meant to b fucked and produce kids ...the world started turning upside-down the moment u lots were given the opportunity....the trajectory the world passed through was due to women... Read ur bible
DeleteJust negodu this people. Odiegwu
ReplyDeleteRape ke
ReplyDeleteYeye country. Heaven knows I can't stay in that kind of a place.
ReplyDeleteGood for her.
ReplyDeleteThat is one of the very few reasons why I love these Arab countries. They don't play stupid games. And they don't tolerate nonsense.
Are they sure she was drugged and raped? Dutch/Scandinavians women have been well known to lie about being raped when they go on holidays, so they can be awarded money. A lot of these women lie forgotten that is different laws that applies to different country. Anyways, i hope they investigate well if it was consensual.
ReplyDeleteAlcohol suspends your memory and makes you vulnerable. Add foolishness of leaving your drink to go and dance, very lethal combination, who is to blame?
ReplyDeleteYes o.... u don't go to report Rape or any sexual case. That's how it is in dubai where I live. It's you they will arrest.
ReplyDeleteWhy would she go to an Arab country strict rule against indiscriminate sex and lie about rape? I'm pretty sure she was being truthful. Most men there know the table would be turned against her if she reported the crime and they hide behind that fact to perpetuate rape.
ReplyDelete