Dubai Pardons Alleged Rape Victim Sentenced For Having Sex Out of Wedlock

After a global outcry, Dubai has pardoned Norwegian Marte Deborah Dalelv, 24, who was sentenced to 16 months in prison after she reported her alleged rape by a colleague. The police allegedly asked her if she was just complaining because she did not like it and she was eventually convicted of having unlawful sex, making a false statement and illegal consumption of alcohol. The case highlights the abusive Sharia laws applied to women and the continuing barriers to countries like Dubai as they try to attract greater tourism and investment.

Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ruled that Dalelv could leave the country.

Dalelv, a Qatar-based interior designer, was on a work trip to Dubai when she says that a colleague raped her at a hotel. The colleague also received a 13-month sentence — not for rape — but again violating the Sharia law against unlawful sex and drinking. Dalelv reportedly said the sex was consensual but changed her story. She says that it was a mistake and done on the advice of others due to the rigid Sharia laws in the country. She says that when she told the police that she had been raped, Dalelv says that the police responded “Are you sure you called the police because you just didn’t like it?”

The pardon is a welcomed change but the original problem remains. Dubai continues to modernize but cling to medieval laws that criminalize consensual conduct. These laws also deter rape victims who have to fear a second victimization in a criminal charge for unlawful sex or collateral Sharia or morality crimes.

Source: CNN