Dubai rape case

[Raro]

(I hope this is the appropriate forum for this -- never done this before)

 

There's a rather shocking news story about a 15-year-old French boy raped in Dubai, and all the foot-dragging and prevarication Dubai is doing to avoid the embarassment of trying the case in court: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/01/world/mi...st/01dubai.html. Dubai's been a golden boy of the international business world with its low taxes, openness to foreign investment, and sea access to the middle east; I'm curious how this will play out, if Dubai will be sensitive to international pressure in this case.

 

As a side note, the "News" section of the forum apparently has been closed to discussion because, a year from US elections, most every topic looks like politics and we're not allowed to discuss politics. Hm... I hope this doesn't mean that for the next year all we're allowed to do here is wish each other happy birthdays.

 

-- Raro

[Ieshwar]

Damn! That's outrageous! How can they do that?

 

Not only he has been raped but also facing so much problems! Are evryone really that f*cked-up over there? The doctor, police, lawyers...

 

And that AIDS problem? I cna't find words to express my...outrage!

 

Ieshwar

[Graeme]

(I hope this is the appropriate forum for this -- never done this before)

Yep, this is the right place

 

There's a rather shocking news story about a 15-year-old French boy raped in Dubai, and all the foot-dragging and prevarication Dubai is doing to avoid the embarassment of trying the case in court:

I'm very much aware that some sections of media spin stories to make them sound more dramatic. As a consequence I usually cautious about jumping in too hard on these things. Having said that, I'm aware that some people do have the idea that males don't get raped. Even in Australia, it has only been in the last ten years that the reality has been taking hold, and some of the stigma associated with it is fading. The New South Wales Health Department website for rape victims, for example, now has a section for dealing with male rape victims.

 

Having said that, I wish Alex all the best. He's very brave to have come forward and obviously has the full support of his parents.

 

Because one of my online friends was raped when he was ten years old, I'm aware of a website for male rape victims. Male Survivor is there for support if you need it. I've only seen the public forums, but my friend has been a member for some time now.

 

As a side note, the "News" section of the forum apparently has been closed to discussion because, a year from US elections, most every topic looks like politics and we're not allowed to discuss politics. Hm... I hope this doesn't mean that for the next year all we're allowed to do here is wish each other happy birthdays.

 

It is usually partisan politics that's banned. General issues are free to be discussed, as a rule. Just use common sense. There are a few hot-button issues on forums that can cause major flame wars. Politics is one of those and that is, I believe, why discussion of politics is banned.

[Hylas]

Hah. Sure. If you only know about the things filipino workers have to go through in Saudi - even Dubai. Filipina maids are treated like slaves, most of them allowed no contact with families, some locked up, some beaten, some even kept as sex slaves.

 

And it's not just a small percentage 'some' either. Lots of filipinas are in prisons there for crimes that almost seem trivial. There are those who 'supposedly' commit suicide (such as the case of the pretty filipina recently who worked for Saudi Airlines, I think). There was a case of two maids who leapt from the the 3rd storey (or second, i forgot) of a building just to escape their employers (they broke their legs but never regretted it). I personally have a cousin who is only allowed one phonecall home every three months, even if she use her own money for the calls.

 

Just this year I think, a filipino worker (Male, in his thirties i think, with family, and quite attractive) was molested by a (I think) Pakistani coworker (also male) whom he killed in self-defense. He got beheaded for it...

 

Ever seen the movie 'Spartan'? Where Val Kilmer rescues the white girl... but doesn't even look twice at the maid?... Methinks this sort of thing only hits the news when it involves white people. There are countless abuses on the very large population of filipino workers over there, and it never even hits western media.

[Razor]

Withholding the information about HIV infection should be treated as attempted murder. Prophylaxis, if begun within 24 hours of exposure, gives a very good chance of avoiding any infection. All authorities involved should be very harshly dealt with.

[JamesSavik]

The more fundamentalist the society, the more deeply depraved are its "upstanding" citizens and the greater the lengths the state willl go to hush up their exploits.

[Benji]

Yep, this is the right place

 

 

I'm very much aware that some sections of media spin stories to make them sound more dramatic. As a consequence I usually cautious about jumping in too hard on these things. Having said that, I'm aware that some people do have the idea that males don't get raped. Even in Australia, it has only been in the last ten years that the reality has been taking hold, and some of the stigma associated with it is fading. The New South Wales Health Department website for rape victims, for example, now has a section for dealing with male rape victims.

 

Having said that, I wish Alex all the best. He's very brave to have come forward and obviously has the full support of his parents.

 

Because one of my online friends was raped when he was ten years old, I'm aware of a website for male rape victims. Male Survivor is there for support if you need it. I've only seen the public forums, but my friend has been a member for some time now.

 

 

 

It is usually partisan politics that's banned. General issues are free to be discussed, as a rule. Just use common sense. There are a few hot-button issues on forums that can cause major flame wars. Politics is one of those and that is, I believe, why discussion of politics is banned.

 

.........I was outraged by the story, to think they had to leave the country because they might have tried the victim as a homosexual. Keeping the family from finding out if the assailants are HIV positive, this government could have done the right thing and this matter probably never made news!

[glomph]

Perhaps it is one of the countries that punishes female rape victims if they report it, too. In some places women are put to death for the crime of adultery if they are raped.

[Demetz]

Technically, in order to prosecute a person for adultery, one must be able to call four witnesses to the act, according to traditional Islamic law. De facto Islamic process on the other hand seems to blame the victim in rape cases. It does not suprise me in the least that an Islamic country would seek to prosecute a male rape victim as having been in a homosexual act rather than dilligently prosecute the rapists. Yet, I must admit I was surprised to hear of this ocurring in Dubai, until I learned of the involvement of AIDS. Dubai is trying to make itself the cultural capital of the eastern hemisphere, a reputation for being relatively std free is essential to the image they want to promote. It would not surprise me in the least if they would forsake justice to avert a percieved economic threat.