Just think if you were a victim of a sexual crime.
But if you report the crime, you’ll wind up with a longer jail sentence than the alleged perpetrator.
That’s exactly what happened to Norwegian interior designer Marte Dalelv on a business trip in Dubai where she said she was raped in March.
Dalely said she was attacked by a colleague after she asked him to walk her to her room. She remembered waking up being sexually attacked.
No female officers assisted in the investigation after she reported the crime. She was jailed for four days and given no explanation.
A piece of paper with Arabic text listed charges for unlawful sex, making a false statement and illegal consumption of alcohol. When the court proceeding was done, Dalely faced a 16-month sentence. Her alleged attacker received a 13-month sentence for extramarital sex and alcohol consumption.
Fortunately, the ruler of Dubai stepped in and pardoned both parties, suspending their jail sentences. The designer found out she was to be freed during a meeting with public prosecutors.
“We came in and we sat down and they told us —‘You’ve been pardoned.’
Dalelv and the Sudanese suspect were terminated by Al Mana Interiors for “drinking alcohol at a staff conference that resulted in trouble with the police.” Al Mana Interiors is owned by Qatari billionaire Wissam Al Mana.
Dubai’s strict laws have surprised foreigners. Visitors can drink at bars and unmarried couples can share hotel rooms. But the country adheres to Islamic laws when a crime is investigated.
Human Rights Watch discovered three other cases in the United Arab Emirates where foreign women were charged with a crime after reporting a sexual crime. The United Arab Emirates has been criticized by rights groups, which say its laws condones sexual violence against women.