Our hearts go out to the family of the three Emirati women who were brutally assaulted while relaxing in their hotel room when on holiday in central London. Hundreds of thousands of Emiratis travel to London every year, and we can all share the pain of this family who were doing no more than what so many others have done, and have had their lives destroyed by mindless violence. The women were attacked with a hammer in their hotel room in London apparently during a robbery. Three men have been remanded in custody by the London police, a fourth suspect — a woman has been put on bail and a fifth person has just been arrested. After these initial hearings, the full case should be heard as soon as possible so that justice can be done.
There have been swift and commendable consultations between the UK and UAE governments, as the UAE government moved quickly to support its citizens in such trouble and the health care has been excellent as doctors coped with the initial trauma and recognised that at least one of the victims has much more serious symptoms.
Investigations are continuing, but even at this early stage it is clear that these assailants should have had no place in any hotel. A thorough review of security needs to be carried out in all similar hotels that host visitors from the UAE or any other Gulf state.
