# Norwegian Women Raped in UAE; She is Sentenced to 16 Months
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [July 19, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989 "2013-07-19T23:41:24Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2013, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/1 "2013-07-19T23:41:24Z")
“The Norwegian interior designer convicted in Dubai of having illegal sex after she reported being raped is appealing her jail sentence and alerting Western women to the Islam-based legal system of the United Arab Emirates.
…She called her 16-month sentence Wednesday — for extramarital sex, perjury and illegal alcohol consumption — “very harsh,” saying she had appealed immediately.”
> **[Norwegian convicted over rape report issues Gulf caution](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/19/dubai-norwegian-rape-jailed-extramarital-sex/2569977/)**
>
> Interior designer appealing 'very harsh' sentence for illicit sex after she reported sex attack.
I should add that the rapist got 13 months for extramarital sex and illegal alcohol consumption.
---
### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [July 19, 2013, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/2 "2013-07-19T23:51:00Z")
Just to ask, under whose laws do two people need to be married to avoid the charge of “extramarital sex”?
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/3 "2013-07-20T00:09:52Z")
Well, if they’re not married to each other, I’d assume it’s extramarital pretty much anywhere.
---
### Author:  [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/4 "2013-07-20T00:21:11Z")
I assume, given that they convicted her of perjury, they didn’t find the claim credible?
---
### Author:  [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/5 "2013-07-20T00:27:30Z")
> [@Captain\_Amazing](#):
>
> I assume, given that they convicted her of perjury, they didn’t find the claim credible?
Without four male witnesses, no.
---
### Author:  [@Celyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Celyn)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/6 "2013-07-20T00:32:32Z")
Perhaps there were not enough witnesses.
> [@](#):
>
> Under United Arab Emirates law, a conviction requires either a confession or four adult male witnesses to the attack
```
:rolleyes:
```
> **[Norwegian convicted over rape report issues Gulf caution](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2013/07/19/dubai-norwegian-rape-jailed-extramarital-sex/2569977/)**
>
> Interior designer appealing 'very harsh' sentence for illicit sex after she reported sex attack.
What a weird and disgusting system. :mad:
---
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/7 "2013-07-20T00:35:40Z")
Utter horseshit. Stories like these make me realize how lucky I am to live in the U.S.
---
### Author:  [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/8 "2013-07-20T00:55:23Z")
You’d think word had gotten out about Dubai by now. It seems Westernized on the surface but the courts are Sharia law. A lot of Westeners have learned the lesson the hard way.
An Aussie woman got jailed for adultery after reporting a rape in Dubai last year.
[http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-06/woman-to-sue-government-over-alleged-dubai-rape/2747876](http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-06-06/woman-to-sue-government-over-alleged-dubai-rape/2747876)
---
### Author:  [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/9 "2013-07-20T01:37:15Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> Well, if they’re not married to each other, I’d assume it’s extramarital pretty much anywhere.
Well, yeah, but my point was, we’re having a hard enough time in America deciding what marriage is and means. What would a court over there think of two guys declaring that they’re married, and “proving” it with a certificate that’s legally binding… here in the States?
---
### Author:  [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/10 "2013-07-20T01:52:54Z")
It’d probably be considered an admission of homosexuality, which is probably not going to go over too well.
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 2:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/11 "2013-07-20T02:05:54Z")
Can anyone envision a situation where four men would be present at a rape unless they were themselves rapists? And can anyone explain why a rapist would confess since rape carries a much harsher penalty than extramarital sex? So the question is has anyone ever been convicted of rape in a modern trial held under Sharia law?
It’s worth mentioning that this harsh treatment of rape victims is not from the Quran. The Quran records instances in which rapists were punished by Muhammad based solely on the accusations of their victim - a woman could accuse a man of rape and not fear she would be punished for the accusation.
The Quran also spoke of a woman being accused of adultery. That’s the situation where Muhammad said four witnesses would be required for the charge to be upheld. Again, this was a law that protected people - generally women - from false accusations.
Later Muslim authorities invented a new law. They took the four witness rule and applied it to accusations of rape. This made it virtually impossible for women to accuse a rapist. Two laws which had been created to protect women were perverted to oppress them.
---
### Author:  [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/12 "2013-07-20T02:06:01Z")
> [@Ethilrist](#):
>
> It’d probably be considered an admission of homosexuality, which is probably not going to go over too well.
Specifically, punishable by death, from what I can tell, though several year prison sentences have been levied as well.
---
### Author:  [@lavenderviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lavenderviolet)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/13 "2013-07-20T02:49:41Z")
> [@Leaper](#):
>
> Well, yeah, but my point was, we’re having a hard enough time in America deciding what marriage is and means. What would a court over there think of two guys declaring that they’re married, and “proving” it with a certificate that’s legally binding… here in the States?
If you admitted to homosexual activity in UAE, you would be jailed and then deported: [LGBTQ rights in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates)
---
### Author:  [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 2:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/14 "2013-07-20T02:56:52Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> Can anyone envision a situation where four men would be present at a rape unless they were themselves rapists?
No. It’s a hell of a catch, that Catch-22, and you did figure out the reason for the rule. This is horrible, and not that it fixes things but I expect the Norwegian government will get her out of there pretty soon. They and the rest of Europe must be pissed.
---
### Author:  [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/15 "2013-07-20T03:07:07Z")
> [@Marley23](#):
>
> No. It’s a hell of a catch, that Catch-22…
It’s the best there is. What a fucked-up story.
---
### Author:  [@rowrrbazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rowrrbazzle)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 5:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/16 "2013-07-20T05:43:25Z")
> [@Little\_Nemo](#):
>
> It’s worth mentioning that this harsh treatment of rape victims is not from the Quran. The Quran records instances in which rapists were punished by Muhammad based solely on the accusations of their victim - a woman could accuse a man of rape and not fear she would be punished for the accusation.
>
> The Quran also spoke of a woman being accused of adultery. That’s the situation where Muhammad said four witnesses would be required for the charge to be upheld. Again, this was a law that protected people - generally women - from false accusations.
>
> Later Muslim authorities invented a new law. They took the four witness rule and applied it to accusations of rape. This made it virtually impossible for women to accuse a rapist. Two laws which had been created to protect women were perverted to oppress them.
Well, get over to the UAE real quick and tell them they’re wrong! I’m sure the Norwegian woman will be released immediately!
---
### Author:  [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/17 "2013-07-20T05:58:30Z")
> [@rowrrbazzle](#):
>
> Well, get over to the UAE real quick and tell them they’re wrong! I’m sure the Norwegian woman will be released immediately!
Pretty sure they wouldn’t listen to me. My point is that people shouldn’t blame Islam for the narrow-minded misogyny and bigotry of some Muslims.
---
### Author:  [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 6:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/18 "2013-07-20T06:15:38Z")
A couple of years ago I had a job that blew goats with a team that was great. We were all searching for our next job from the moment we realized we’d been lied to about every aspect of the job except pay (so, since our first day). One of my colleagues asked what we knew about Dubai.
I said “I know they have Sharia and that you’re married and have two daughters.” We all had heard stories of “gilded cage” complexes and malls (yes, very luxurious, but careful what you do outside and don’t wiggle too much inside); fine if you like it, not so fine if you like being able to go wherever you want any time you want and not worry about who’s looking. We knew the summer was even hotter than ours, something which intensifies the siren call of a “from apartment to office, from office to mall” lifestyle.
He’s not in Dubai.
In another thread, someone posted a comparison between so-right-they’re-left Muslims and so-right-they’re-left US Conservative Christians. And you know what? You could apply the same list to any group of “backwards extremists”, the only way in which it’s linked to religion is in that those groups use religion as an excuse. When those groups happen to be in charge of a community, things are bad for anybody who’s not One of Them.
---
### Author:  [@chicagowhitesox1173](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chicagowhitesox1173)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/19 "2013-07-20T06:22:58Z")
> [@lavenderviolet](#):
>
> If you admitted to homosexual activity in UAE, you would be jailed and then deported: [LGBTQ rights in the United Arab Emirates - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGBT_rights_in_the_United_Arab_Emirates)
Thats strange, I was there once and everyone told me men had sex with men for pleasure and used women only for reproducing. I believe you it’s just I never knew they had a law like that. I remember alot of human trafficking there too. I remember drinking vodka with some Russian women and they told us that they had been kidnapped and how they couldn’t ever leave.
---
### Author:  [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)
#### Post date: [July 20, 2013, 7:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989/20 "2013-07-20T07:04:43Z")
Well. I hope when people read this they realise that laws are not different for you, because you are a westerner.
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/norwegian-women-raped-in-uae-she-is-sentenced-to-16-months/663989.md?page=2)