95 
22-year-old Dutch tourist who was drugged and raped by a
stranger in Qatar has been given a suspended jail sentence for adultery.
stranger in Qatar has been given a suspended jail sentence for adultery.
According to her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, she was on holiday
with a friend and went out for drinks at a hotel bar in the Qatari
capital on March 15.
‘She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first
sip of her drink, she realized that she had been drugged.
with a friend and went out for drinks at a hotel bar in the Qatari
capital on March 15.
‘She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first
sip of her drink, she realized that she had been drugged.
She really
didn’t feel very well. The young woman remembers nothing more until the
following morning when she woke up in a totally unfamiliar apartment and realized to her great horror, that she had been raped. The man insisted
they had consensual sex and claimed the woman had asked him for money.’
After reporting the attack to the police, she was arrested
and charged with adultery for having sex out of wedlock. The man she
accused was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery, 40 lashes for
consuming alcohol but will not serve any time in jail. However, She was
fined 3,000 Qatari riyals (£582) and told she would be deported after
she had paid the fine.
and charged with adultery for having sex out of wedlock. The man she
accused was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery, 40 lashes for
consuming alcohol but will not serve any time in jail. However, She was
fined 3,000 Qatari riyals (£582) and told she would be deported after
she had paid the fine.
A social media campaign was launched over the weekend calling for her release and the hashtag #freelaura is trending on twitter
Briefing reporters on the case, Dutch ambassador to Qatar,
Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud said: ‘We will do everything to get her
out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go.’
Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud said: ‘We will do everything to get her
out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go.’
