Dubai: A Norwegian woman has been sentenced to 16 months in jail for getting drunk and having consensual sex with her boss, whom she claimed raped her in his hotel room.
The Dubai Misdemeanour Court handed the 24-year-old Norwegian, Marte Deborah Dalelv, a three-month imprisonment for falsely reporting to police that she was raped, a month’s imprisonment for drinking and 12 months for having consensual sex.
Dalelv ’s 33-year-old Sudanese boss, H.A., was jailed for 13 months for consuming liquor and having consensual sex.
When the woman appeared in courtroom nine, she admitted to drinking alcohol. She denied having consensual sex and falsely reporting to police that she was raped on March 6.
She said H.A. had sex with her against her will while she slept on his bed.
Dubai Police’s forensic report confirmed that the woman had sex but there was no mention of any physical violence.
The Sudanese, who came to Dubai with Dalelv on a business visit from Qatar, pleaded guilty and confessed to having consensual sex.
Dalelv’s advocate Mahmoud Azab Abu Gareda told Gulf News on Sunday that they had already appealed the primary verdict. The first appellate hearing is scheduled for September 5.
Prosecution records quoted the woman admitting that she had consensual sex with H.A.
She said they left the nightclub where they were drinking, according to her prosecution statement, at 3am and went to the hotel where they were staying near Safa Park.
Dalelv claimed to prosecutors that H.A. suggested that she sleep in his room to wake up for an early business meeting.
The woman undressed and slept in her underwear on the bed while the Sudanese slept on the couch for a while before he moved to a bed beside her, she claimed.
Prosecution records cited Dalelv admitting that she initiated the sexual activity with H.A. and he responded.
When asked by the investigating prosecutor why she reported to the police that she was raped, the Norwegian claimed it was because she was under the influence of liquor.
Meanwhile police records said Dalelv informed police that H.A. had sex with her against her will.
She alleged to police interrogators that after she jumped into bed in her underwear, her boss slept on the couch.
The woman claimed she was sleeping when she woke up in pain and realized that H.A. was having sex with her. She claimed that she asked him to stop repeatedly and attempted to push him away.
When the case appeared in court, advocate Abu Gareda asked the court to dismiss his client’s consensual sex charge and giving a false statement to the police.
“This was a rape case. My client did not allow H.A. to have sex with her. She woke up suddenly in the morning in pain when the other defendant was having sex with her. She asked him to stop and tried to push him away. She slept in his room because H.A. had suggested that she do so to wake her up around 7am for a business meeting. Defence witnesses confirmed that Dalelv reported to police first that she was raped… later she was advised to claim that they had consensual sex to get a reduced sentence,” argued advocate Abu Gareda.
“According to the forensic examiner’s testimony before the court, she did not completely eliminate the probability of rape claiming that Dalelv could have been raped while she slept. Although the forensic report did not confirm any rape, the examiner’s probability matched my client’s claim that H.A. raped her while she slept. We also asked the court to refer the case to the public prosecution for a re-investigation into Dalelv ’s rape claims,” argued the advocate.
Abu Gareda told Gulf News that he will adopt the same defence argument before the Appeal Court when it convenes in September.
