A Norwegian woman has been sentenced to imprisonment for one year and four months in Dubai after she reported a rape.
- The woman reported a rape to the police in Dubai, but was not thought of this. We have been told that she herself was instead sentenced to one year and four months. The judicial system here has obviously taken the information she has given them and meant that she is guilty of anything, says Gisle Meling, a priest in the Seamen's Church in Dubai.
He stressed that he did not read the judgment and therefore do not know the details of what the woman has been convicted.
- This is a terrible situation for her. We are very surprised and had hopes that it would go the other way. But we live in a country with a legal system that has come to the conclusion through their Sharia law, says Meling.
Strict punishment
VG has even been in contact with the woman.
- I have received punishment for sex outside of marriage, punishment for drinking alcohol and so I was also convicted of perjury, she says to VG.
UD: We provide assistance
Foreign Ministry confirms that they are familiar with the matter.
- We provide consular assistance to a Norwegian citizen in Dubai. We have been in contact with the person for some time. Beyond this I can not comment on individual cases, says Kjetil Elsebutangen, Communications of the Foreign Ministry.
(Australian case some time ago)
gang raped and sentenced to prison
In May the Australian Alicia Gali (27) his first interview on TV after she was gang raped in Dubai and then jailed for eight months for sex outside marriage in 2008.
She went to work at a hotel, but was allegedly drugged and raped by co-workers. She took care to hospital with broken ribs when she woke up the next day, but was thus even convicted and had to share cells with numerous other women.
According to Yahoo 7 News, who made the documentary made about Gali, the four Muslim and male witnesses to the court for sharia law to be assumed that there has been a rape.