Blaming the Victim

In Florida a boy is killed for defending himself and his murderer goes free. In Iowa a woman is fired for being too attractive. In Dubai a woman is jailed for being raped.

When did the victim become the target of the justice system?

From The Daily Mail (UK)...

24-year-old Marte Deborah Dalelv as brutally raped while on a business trip in United Arab Emirates and was handed a prison sentence for having sex outside of marriage after reporting it to police.

Ms Dalelv reported the sexual assault in March this year, after which she had to spend days in a cell before she was allowed to use a telephone.

With the help of family members, the Norwegian consulate was able to negotiate a release and she has been living under the protection of the Norwegian Sailor’s Church until her sentencing this week. Ms Dalelv was sentenced to one year and four months in jail but as Norway has no extradition treaty with Dubai, her future is uncertain.

Under UAE law, rapists can only be convicted if either the perpetrator confesses or if four adult Muslim males witness the crime. Under the Sharia-influenced laws, sex before marriage is completely forbidden and an unmarried couple holding hands in public can be jailed.