A 19-year-old woman was gang raped and probably thought the worst was over when she survived and went to the authorities. However, she was sentenced to 90 lashes for “being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape.” When she told the media of this outrage, the Saudi Arabia’s Higher Judicial Council increased the sentence to 200 lashes and six months in jail. In meantime, the six men who raped her received the remarkably light sentence of between one and five years in prison.
For the full story, click here
Such outrages raises core human rights issues that exist between us and one of our closest allies. The religious courts in Saudi Arabia continue to mete out their own brand of justice and women are often victimized in sex-related cases.