Dubai: Norwegian Rape Victim Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Sex Outside Marriage

A 25-year-old businesswoman from Norway has been sentenced to 16 months in prison after she reported her rape to Dubai police.

Marte Deborah Dalelv, who was in Dubai for a business trip, had report a rape and assault. However, not only did the police disbelieve her, they also confiscated her passport and took her into detention on the suspicion of having had sex outside marriage.

After being taken into custody, Dalelv was not allowed to use telephone for days together. When she finally was able to make a call to her family, they contacted the Norwegian consulate which facilitated released. She was then allowed to stay under the protection of the Norwegian Sailor's Church until her sentencing this week, a Mail Online report said.

"I received the harshest sentence for sex outside marriage, harshest sentence for drinking alcohol and on top of that I was found guilty of perjury," the woman said.

Her future still remains uncertain as Norway has no extradition treaty with Dubai.

"It is a terrible situation she is in," said Gisle Meling, the priest at the Norwegian Sailor's Church.

"We are very surprised and had hoped it would go another way, but we live in a country which has a justice system which draws its conclusions with the help of Sharia law," Meling added.

In a similar incident in December 2012, a 28-year-old British woman who was reportedly gang-raped by three men was charged with alcohol consumption and was fined $257 (£168.69).

Earlier this year, Alicia Gali, a 27-year-old Australian was jailed for 11 months after she approached police to report rape.

Gali, an employee of Starwood chain of hotels was raped by three colleagues who spiked her drink.

When she went to a hospital, she was asked to go police, who charged her with illicit sex outside marriage.

Under Islamic Sharia law a rapist can be convicted only under two circumstances. Either when the rapist himself confesses to wrongdoing, or when the rape has been witnessed by at least four adult male Muslims.