A yet to be publicly identified female gang rape victim was initially found guilty and sentenced to 90 lashes for violating the Kingdom of Saudi Arabian s (KSA) rigid Islamic law on segregation of the sexes.
When the defense attorney for a raped Saudi Arabian woman appealed a Sharia Court decision that the 90-lash sentence against his client was unjust, all that was succeeded was the more than doubling of the punishment meted out to the woman who was raped and beaten by seven men.
The Saudi judiciary stood by its decision. "The Ministry of Justice welcomes constructive criticism, away from emotions," it said in a statement.
The Saudi judiciary stood by its decision. "The Ministry of Justice welcomes constructive criticism, away from emotions," it said in a statement.
The statement also said that the "charges were proven" against the woman for having been in a car with a strange male, and repeated criticism of her lawyer for talking "defiantly" about the judicial system, saying "it has shown ignorance."
The woman’s lawyer, Abdul Rahman al-Lahem, reached out to the media. The court has since banned him from further defending the woman, confiscating his license and summoning him to a disciplinary hearing later this month.
The justice ministry implied the victim's sentence was increased because she had spoken out to the press. "For whoever has an objection on verdicts issued, the system allows to appeal without resorting to the media," said the statement carried on the official Saudi Press Agency.
The rape took place in 2006. The victim said it occurred as she tried to retrieve her picture from a male high school student she used to know.
While in a car with the student, two men got into the vehicle and drove them to a secluded area. She said she was raped there by seven men, three of whom also attacked her friend.
No comments:
Post a Comment