A British woman in Dubai has been arrested and charged with having extra-marital sex after she went to authorities to report that she had been gang raped by two British men.
According to reports from the BBC, the woman has been released on bail but her passport has been confiscated.
The woman says that she was attacked by two men form Birmingham while in Dubai on holidays.
The British Foreign Office confirmed that they have been involved.
“We are supporting a British woman in relation to this case and will remain in contact with her family,” stated the office.
It is understood that the two men also have had their passports confiscated.
According to the BBC, Detained in Dubai (an organisation that assists people who have become victims of injustice in the UAE) said the woman may face trial for the charges – for which possible punishments include imprisonment, deportation, flogging and even stoning to death.
The organisation has also advised tourists in UAE not to report rape.
According to The Independent UK, the organisation advised against reporting rape or other crimes in the country because of the “manipulation when it comes to criminal accusations” and the “racist” preconceptions held against Western tourists.
Radha Stirling, founder of the organization, said the UAE has a long arduous history of penalizing rape victims.
“We have been involved with several cases in the past where this has happened, and we work with the lawyers and families and have campaigned to change attitudes in the police and judiciary.”
“Recent cases… show that it is still not safe for victims to report these crimes to the police without the risk of suffering a double punishment”.
“We get people contacting us asking whether they should report a crime and – whether it be a rape or anything else – I often say no. Absolutely not.”
Stirling further explains that social perception and racism supports rape culture.
“There is the social perception that if a woman drinks alcohol, she has consented to it. And there’s also a racist mentality of thinking, ‘She’s British so she was probably drunk and asking for it’,” said Stirling.
