© Karim Sahib / Reuters
Detained in Dubai, an organization that assists people who have become victims of injustice in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), says rape should not be reported in the country because of "racist" preconceptions held against Western tourists and "manipulation when it comes to criminal accusations."
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," Radha Stirling, the founder of the charity, told the
Independent.
"It's about the laws for one, but it also comes down to the application of the law. Police there do get a lot of rape claims that are false, many of which come from disgruntled prostitutes who retaliate by reporting false criminal claims.
"Because of this, the police are wary of false accusations, so when a report does come in they think, 'Oh, maybe the girl was just drunk and then she regretted it the next day.'
"It's also linked to the fact that
tourism in the UAE has increased and there is a big clubbing scene. People go there to have a good time and the country promotes this. But they do assume women are 'looking for it'.
"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.'"
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