Woman in Tunisia is Raped By Two Police Officers, Files Complaint, and is Promptly Arrested for Public Indecency

We have often discussed the plight of women in the Middle East where they are often treated as chattel and denied basic rights and privileges. A story this week out of Tunisia therefore may not surprise the readers of this blog but it again shocks the conscience in giving a glimpse into the desperate existence of many women. The victim in this latest case was pulled from a car with her fiance by three police officers. As the boyfriend was taken to withdraw money from an ATM and robbed, the other two officers took turns raping the woman. When she filed a complaint, the police responded by arresting her for public indecency. So much for the balanced scales of justice on the country’s coat of arms.

The couple had been parked on September 3rd in Tunis when the officers set upon them. Her complaint and the public outcry forced the police to charge the officers with rape, but the department then arrested her after the officers, for the first time, alleged that the two were in an “immoral position” in the car. Both the man and woman were charged with “intentional indecent behavior” and are now facing six months in prison.

The Tunisian government has repeatedly charged both reporters and human rights activists with “public immorality” and “public disorder.” It has also refused demands from the U.N. Human Rights Council to rescind discriminatory laws against women.

Tunisia has also seen widespread anti-American protests where President Obama has been called an “Ape” and thousands chanted their allegiance with Osama Bin Laden. This occurred after the White House celebrated its close friendship with Tunisia and how Tunisia “ignited” the Arab Spring movement.

The rape case of this woman should be an international cause for justice and galvanize the movement for greater rights for women in Tunisia and other Muslim nations.

Source: CNN

82 thoughts on “Woman in Tunisia is Raped By Two Police Officers, Files Complaint, and is Promptly Arrested for Public Indecency”

  1. kaysieverding 1, October 8, 2012 at 7:56 pm

    I’ve been thinking some more about this exchange. What I don’t think you all realize is that my life itself is at stake in my continuing litigation. As it is the defendants made it impossible for me to work for some years. So now I am facing an economic downturn without a recent work history and with the burden of continuing on-line defamation. And it is not easy to get a minimum wage job when one is educated — they don’t usually want to hire someone who is over qualified. And most job applications state that you can be fired if you leave things off of your application. So if I leave off my education and my professional jobs I could be fired at will.
    ==============================================

    Do consulting jobs first. You can get references that way. Sometimes the consulting jobs turn into permanent jobs.

  2. I’ve been thinking some more about this exchange. What I don’t think you all realize is that my life itself is at stake in my continuing litigation. As it is the defendants made it impossible for me to work for some years. So now I am facing an economic downturn without a recent work history and with the burden of continuing on-line defamation. And it is not easy to get a minimum wage job when one is educated — they don’t usually want to hire someone who is over qualified. And most job applications state that you can be fired if you leave things off of your application. So if I leave off my education and my professional jobs I could be fired at will.

    Furthermore I am subject to the baseless attorney fee shifting order. That is not dischargeable in bankruptcy plus a pro se bankruptcy is too risky. So if I were to get together any assets they could be taken from me at any time. So basically I need to win in Court just to guarantee a roof over my head and without that I am at risk of death.

    And all of this simply because I expected the City of Steamboat Springs and its officials to observe its own laws and those of Colorado. That is why I had a lawsuit under 42 USC section 1983….

    Every person who, under color of any statute, ordinance, regulation, custom, or usage, of any State or Territory or the District of Columbia, subjects, or causes to be subjected, any citizen of the United States or other person within the jurisdiction thereof to the deprivation of any rights, privileges, or immunities secured by the Constitution and laws, shall be liable to the party injured in an action at law, suit in equity, or other proper proceeding for redress,

  3. The clip has 15 rounds. And there’s a round in the chamber, that means sixteen. There’s a second clip that has an additional fifteen rounds. This is all hypothetical, of course.

  4. Woosty,

    Go for it……you represent those who won’t listen to you… No insult was intended… You’re like the school bully that encourages someone to play Russian Roulette with a fully loaded clip…. As stated… It’s on your conscience….. BTW…..

  5. Malisha
    1, October 7, 2012 at 5:37 pm
    AY, when people are in negative states of mind because of negative states of the circumstances in their lives, the idea that they can change the world by changing from a “negative” to a “positive” state of mind is usually not very useful. It calls to mind that hilarious Monty Pythion scene with the crucifixes and the light-hearted song.

    Telling folks to “get over it” can sometimes be experienced as a sophisticated insult.
    ————————–
    hear hear…and thank you.
    It is an insult. It is a stupid non-productive insult. It is a short circuit way to ignore someones state or complaint. If it is being delivered by someone who was part of the cause of the state (or perceived that way…) it is cruel.

    Kay, looks like you are living in Massachusetts now?

    How are the leaves???!

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