Rape trial hits Dubai’s image
By Roula Khalaf in London and Simeon Kerr in Dubai
Published: November 6 2007 20:46 | Last updated: November 6 2007 20:46
The alleged rape of a 15-year-old French boy by three men in Dubai is turning the spotlight on the United Arab Emirates’ legal system and highlighting concerns over due process in the city that has become the prime location for foreign businesses in the oil-rich Gulf.
The trial of the three Emirati men, charged with abduction and having sex without the 15-year-old boy’s consent, continues on Wednesday.All three have pleaded not guilty. But Veronique Robert, the mother of the boy, has blamed the UAE authorities for hiding at first that one of the men had Aids, putting her son’s health at risk.
She has also charged that the “whole political system” tried to dissuade her from seeking justice after the alleged attack in July, and let it be known that her son could be jailed on suspicion of homosexuality, which is illegal under the country’s laws.
The Dubai government has declined comment.
However, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai’s ruler and United Arab Emirates prime minister, in April said the justice ministry was languishing 20 years behind other government departments, calling for the introduction of more modern systems and urging the “highest standards of transparency and accountability”.
Instead of keeping quiet Ms Robert has mobilised the French authorities and launched a website, Boycottdubai.com, where expressions of indignation and support have been posted.
She says the French government has issued official complaints to the UAE authorities about the handling of the case.
“It was all upside down from the start: we had to lodge the first complaint twice, the medical report first said that there was no sign of rape, and my son was told he was a homosexual, which could have landed him in prison,” said Ms Robert.
Diplomats say the judicial system in the UAE, compared with neighbouring Gulf states, is relatively independent from government interference, and that expatriates can win cases against nationals.
However, they concede that anti-foreign bias can still afflict judgments and foreign non-governmental organisations have claimed that the courts have been used to harass a human rights activist.
Many expatriates are incarcerated for drink driving, while tourists have been detained on drugs charges for possession of strong painkillers. Delays in the system are common.
Last year, reports suggested that a British woman who claimed to be gang raped would be put on trial for adultery. Homosexuality is outlawed, though there is a thriving underground gay scene.
The case of the French boy is a blow to Dubai’s reputation, at a time when the emirate has been moving to clean up its image.
International condemnation over poor pay and conditions for the emirate’s hundreds of thousands of south Asian construction workers has forced the UAE government to introduce new laws and enforce existing regulations more strictly – but last week thousands of workers were threatened with deportation for striking.
In response to outside pressure, the government has outlawed the use of children as camel jockeys and now uses robots to pilot camels in the traditional Bedouin races still held here. Dubai also closed down two of its most notorious brothels that had given the city a reputation as the region’s sex hub.