How to Treat a Rape Victim: Saudi Arabia Style
By now most of us have heard the story of the Saudi woman who was in a car with a man not in her family when their car was stopped, they were kidnapped and she was brutally raped twice by seven different men.
Oh, the rapists got jail terms alright. Terms ranging from two to nine years.
Originally the victim was sentenced to 90 lashes for being with a man not in her family. Since her attorney appealed and the press was told her sentence was increased to 200 lashes and six months in jail.
Her testimony with Human Rights Watch is compelling and sickens your stomach.
Here are her words about the entire crime:
“I [was] 19 years old. I had a relationship with someone on the phone. We were both 16. I had never seen him before. I just knew his voice. He started to threaten me, and I got afraid. He threatened to tell my family about the relationship. Because of the threats and fear, I agreed to give him a photo of myself,” she recounted.
“A few months [later], I asked him for the photo back but he refused. I had gotten married to another man. He said, ‘I’ll give you the photo on the condition that you come out with me in my car.’ I told him we could meet at a souk [market[ near my neighborhood city plaza in Qatif.
"He started to drive me home. …We were 15 minutes from my house. I told him that I was afraid and that he should speed up. We were about to turn the corner to my house when they [another car] stopped right in front of our car. Two people got out of their car and stood on either side of our car. They man on my side had a knife. They tried to open our door. I told the individual with me not to open the door, but he did. He let them come in. I screamed.
“One of the men brought a knife to my throat. They told me not to speak. They pushed us to the back of the car and started driving. We drove a lot, but I didn’t see anything since my head was forced down.”
“They took us to an area … with lots of palm trees. No one was there. If you kill someone there, no one would know about it. They took out the man with me, and I stayed in the car. I was so afraid. They forced me out of the car. They pushed me really hard … took me to a dark place. Then two men came in. They said, ‘What are you going to do? Take off your abaya.’ They forced my clothes off. The first man with the knife raped me. I was destroyed. If I tried to escape, I don’t even know where I would go. I tried to force them off but I couldn’t. [Another] man … came in and did the same thing to me. I didn’t even feel anything after that.
“I spent two hours begging them to take me home. I told them that it was late and that my family would be asking about me. Then I saw a third man come into the room. There was a lot of violence. After the third man came in, a fourth came. He slapped me and tried to choke me.
“The fifth and sixth ones were the most abusive. After the seventh one, I couldn’t feel my body anymore. I didn’t know what to do. Then a very fat man came on top of me and I could no longer breathe.
“Then all seven came back and raped me again. Then they took me home. … When I got out of the car, I couldn’t even walk. I rang the doorbell and my mother opened the door. She said you look tired.’ I didn’t eat for one week after that, just water. I didn’t tell anyone. I went to the hospital the next day.
“The criminals started talking about it [the rape] in my neighborhood. They thought my husband would divorce me. They wanted to ruin my reputation. Slowly my husband started to know what had happened. Four months later, we started a case. My family heard about the case. My brother hit me and tried to kill me.”
Her lawyer has also been punished by the Saudi court.
As a woman who was acquainted with a lady who had been raped by several men while she was working behind a hotel desk, I can tell you I can think of no more horrifying experience. The woman I knew said all she could do was beg her rapists not to kill her.
Your body is being violated repeatedly against your will until you can no longer feel anything. That’s bad enough, but then the court that should be protecting you sentences you to 200 lashes and six months in prison for being with a man who is not a relative.
This girl was trapped by 8 different men on the same night. Once by the ex-boyfriend and 14 times by the seven rapists.
Her only hope at this stage is a pardon from the king or the provincial governor. Now the Justice Ministry says her sentence will be reviewed again. I pity her as the sentences just get worse. Maybe she’ll be the next beheading victim in this country we dare not speak against or we won’t have enough oil.
How much are we willing to watch and ignore because of almighty oil?
May God have pity on this girl and release her from her sentence and may she be able to get out of that country and someplace that is free and treats women the way they should be treated.
Written by ~J~
