Unmarried Couple Detained in Dubai After Woman Claims She was Raped

A couple that celebrated the New Year in Dubai are not being allowed to return home to Britain. Fox News has reported that the couple were celebrating after he proposed marriage during their three day visit to Dubai.

Their celebration soon turned into a nightmare. The woman alleges that she was raped by a hotel employee on New Year's Eve. The attacker has claimed that it was consensual sex.

After the newly engaged couple reported the alleged rape to police, the authorities in Dubai seemed more focused on the fact that the couple were unmarried and staying in the same hotel room together, than on the rape allegations.

Police arrested the British couple for sex outside of marriage.

The couple was also charged with being drunk outside of "licensed premises", according to Fox News. They had been drinking while celebrating the New Year and their engagement.

The alleged attacker was not charged with rape, but instead was charged with sex outside of marriage.

To further complicate matters for the couple, now released on bail, they have had their passports taken away. They will not be allowed to leave the country and go home to Britain until the woman recants her rape allegations, admits to being drunk, and marries her fiance immediately.

The woman had wanted a large wedding with family in Britain, but may be forced to marry in Dubai before going home.

This story is disturbing in many ways.

First, a tourist should not be afraid to report a crime for fear that they will be punished themselves.

Also, this story shows that unmarried couples need to think twice before traveling to Dubai. Being detained in another country for not following that country's laws about sex outside of marriage is not something most people would fathom or consider when planning a trip.

It can also be costly to have to rent more than one hotel room.

This couple was merely celebrating the New Year and their engagement in a country that gets a lot of tourism. At the very least, it needs to be made Very clear that unmarried couples are not allowed to share a hotel room together.

Dubai has been a popular spot for several years, but they have overextended themselves with all of their building projects and are now in debt, according to The New York Times.

Dubai just recently opened their new tower on January 4th, is the world's tallest building, according to Fox News.

You would think that they would want to maintain a good image to the world. This story does not help.

If Dubai wants to keep tourism going strong and keep the cash flowing in, then it would be a wise move on their part to treat their tourists better.

Sources:

FoxNews.com

NYTimes.com