Dubai, Don't Punish Women for Being Raped!

Dear Friends, 

Marte Dalelv, an interior designer from Norway, was in Dubai on a business trip when she was raped by a colleague. When she went to the police for justice, she was arrested and charged with extramarital sex and drinking alcohol. Then she was sentenced to 16 months in prison. 

Under intense international scrutiny, the United Arab Emirates Sheikh "pardoned" Dalelv. He also pardoned her rapist, as, in the court's opinion, the only crime was that they had both engaged in extramarital sex.

Dalelv was pardoned, but the women of Dubai are still at risk of the same fate if they are sexually assaulted. Prosecution of sexual violence against women in the UAE requires either the perpetrator to confess or the testimony of at least four men, so authorities often punish the women who report the assault.

In 2008, an Australian woman who was drugged and gang-raped was imprisoned for a year; two years later, an 18-year-old who said she had been raped by six men was also sentenced to jail.

Laws like these leave women with no safe place to turn if they're assaulted. They're a disgusting example of injustice, and they must be reformed immediately.

Tell Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum to reform sexual assault prosecution and protect the women of his country against sexual violence.

Thank you for taking action,  Kathleen Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team