Post by Bozur on Nov 7, 2007 15:31:28 GMT -5
Teenage Boy Describes Dubai Sex Assault
By BARBARA SURK,AP
Posted: 2007-11-07 12:57:08
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A 15-year-old French-Swiss boy shot anguished glances at an HIV positive man he accuses of raping him and described in court Wednesday a vicious attack by three Emirati men.
The case has raised tensions over attitudes toward sex crimes in the tiny Gulf nation's Islamic-rooted legal system.
The teenager has told police investigators that the three attackers abducted him and a 16-year-old friend in July while they were on their way home from a mall and took them to the edge of Dubai's desert. The men allegedly took turns raping the younger boy in the back seat.
Mother Veronique Robert said her son's 90-minute testimony was crucial.
"Now they have a full picture. They heard the defendants' stories, they heard my son and the witnesses. Now they can judge," Robert told The Associated Press by phone after the court session.
Her son told her that "he looked the defendants in the eyes and gave a chance for justice to be served," said Robert. She added that the testimony was helpful for her son.
Two Emirati men, ages 35 and 18, are on trial on charges of "kidnapping with deceit" and "forced homosexual relations," a charge that can be punished with life imprisonment or death. The third defendant, who is under age 18, is being tried in a juvenile court on the same charges and could face up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted.
The charges reflect the complicated attitutes toward sex crimes and homosexuality in the booming city-state where critics say the laws are an outmoded mix of religious and tribal values.
The defendants are not charged with rape, a specific charge applicable only to women victims. Even convictions for rape of women victims are rare in the Emirates, and there have been cases where the victim herself was charged with prostitution.
Although rape against men is not a specific charge, prosecutors have other charges they can bring in such cases such as forced homosexual relations. Homosexuality is illegal in Dubai, and the boy's mother said her family initially feared that the boy could be charged himself, though authorities have subsequently said that will not happen.
Before the hearing, Robert told media outside the courtroom that she is seeking justice for her son and other teenage rape victims - girls and boys alike. She said she is determined to help change the Emirates' law regarding male rape, however long it takes.
The testimonies of the boy and of his friend were closed to the public at the request of a defense lawyer.
Before the session began, reporters inside the court saw the 15-year-old glance twice in apparent anguish at the older defendant, who is HIV positive.
When the case came to light, Robert accused Emirati authorities of lying about the HIV status of the 35-year-old defendant to cover up the fact that AIDS exists in Dubai.
Officials have defended their handling of the case, but have not commented the mother's accusations.
Robert, a journalist, had told AP in Paris that she obtained an official document dated 2003 indicating Emirati authorities knew one the defendant was HIV positive.
Robert and her son also accused a police forensic doctor of calling the boy a homosexual while examining him after the assaults.
Robert had also said she and her son, who previously attended school in Dubai where his father works, had left the country in early October because French diplomats told her that her son might be prosecuted for homosexual acts.
They returned for Wednesday's hearing, when Robert expressed faith in the Emirates' legal system.
"We are here, we trust you, now please do your job," she said. She also explained why her son, who did not want to return to Dubai, changed his mind and came back to testify. "You cannot ask for justice and not be part of the process that serves it."
Robert has set up a Web site calling for pressure on Dubai to take basic steps to protect underage rape victims, such as ensuring they are tested for infectious diseases and get psychological help, immediately after an attack.
The AP is using Robert's name with her agreement, but is not identifying her son. The Emirates' legal system prohibits the media from naming the defendants until a verdict is reached.
On the Net:
Mother's Web site: www.boycottdubai.com
By BARBARA SURK,AP
Posted: 2007-11-07 12:57:08
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) - A 15-year-old French-Swiss boy shot anguished glances at an HIV positive man he accuses of raping him and described in court Wednesday a vicious attack by three Emirati men.
The case has raised tensions over attitudes toward sex crimes in the tiny Gulf nation's Islamic-rooted legal system.
The teenager has told police investigators that the three attackers abducted him and a 16-year-old friend in July while they were on their way home from a mall and took them to the edge of Dubai's desert. The men allegedly took turns raping the younger boy in the back seat.
Mother Veronique Robert said her son's 90-minute testimony was crucial.
"Now they have a full picture. They heard the defendants' stories, they heard my son and the witnesses. Now they can judge," Robert told The Associated Press by phone after the court session.
Her son told her that "he looked the defendants in the eyes and gave a chance for justice to be served," said Robert. She added that the testimony was helpful for her son.
Two Emirati men, ages 35 and 18, are on trial on charges of "kidnapping with deceit" and "forced homosexual relations," a charge that can be punished with life imprisonment or death. The third defendant, who is under age 18, is being tried in a juvenile court on the same charges and could face up to 10 years imprisonment if convicted.
The charges reflect the complicated attitutes toward sex crimes and homosexuality in the booming city-state where critics say the laws are an outmoded mix of religious and tribal values.
The defendants are not charged with rape, a specific charge applicable only to women victims. Even convictions for rape of women victims are rare in the Emirates, and there have been cases where the victim herself was charged with prostitution.
Although rape against men is not a specific charge, prosecutors have other charges they can bring in such cases such as forced homosexual relations. Homosexuality is illegal in Dubai, and the boy's mother said her family initially feared that the boy could be charged himself, though authorities have subsequently said that will not happen.
Before the hearing, Robert told media outside the courtroom that she is seeking justice for her son and other teenage rape victims - girls and boys alike. She said she is determined to help change the Emirates' law regarding male rape, however long it takes.
The testimonies of the boy and of his friend were closed to the public at the request of a defense lawyer.
Before the session began, reporters inside the court saw the 15-year-old glance twice in apparent anguish at the older defendant, who is HIV positive.
When the case came to light, Robert accused Emirati authorities of lying about the HIV status of the 35-year-old defendant to cover up the fact that AIDS exists in Dubai.
Officials have defended their handling of the case, but have not commented the mother's accusations.
Robert, a journalist, had told AP in Paris that she obtained an official document dated 2003 indicating Emirati authorities knew one the defendant was HIV positive.
Robert and her son also accused a police forensic doctor of calling the boy a homosexual while examining him after the assaults.
Robert had also said she and her son, who previously attended school in Dubai where his father works, had left the country in early October because French diplomats told her that her son might be prosecuted for homosexual acts.
They returned for Wednesday's hearing, when Robert expressed faith in the Emirates' legal system.
"We are here, we trust you, now please do your job," she said. She also explained why her son, who did not want to return to Dubai, changed his mind and came back to testify. "You cannot ask for justice and not be part of the process that serves it."
Robert has set up a Web site calling for pressure on Dubai to take basic steps to protect underage rape victims, such as ensuring they are tested for infectious diseases and get psychological help, immediately after an attack.
The AP is using Robert's name with her agreement, but is not identifying her son. The Emirates' legal system prohibits the media from naming the defendants until a verdict is reached.
On the Net:
Mother's Web site: www.boycottdubai.com