Female tourist raped was fined £582 and giving a suspended jail sentence for adultery in Qatar

A 22-year-old Dutch tourist who was drugged and raped by a stranger in Qatar has been given a suspended jail sentence for adultery.

According to her lawyer, Brian Lokollo, she was on holiday with a friend and went out for drinks at a hotel bar in the Qatari capital on March 15. 'She went dancing but when she returned to the table after the first sip of her drink, she realised that she had been drugged. 

She really didn't feel very well. The young woman remembers nothing more until the following morning when she woke up in a totally unfamiliar apartment and realised to her great horror, that she had been raped. The man insisted they had consensual sex and claimed the woman had asked him for money.'

After reporting the attack to the police, she was arrested and charged with adultery for having sex out of wedlock. The man she accused was sentenced to 100 lashes for adultery, 40 lashes for consuming alcohol but will not serve any time in jail. However, She was fined 3,000 Qatari riyals (£582) and told she would be deported after she had paid the fine.

Briefing reporters on the case, Dutch ambassador to Qatar, Yvette Burghgraef-van Eechoud said: 'We will do everything to get her out of the country as soon as possible to where she wants to go.'