Saudi InJustice Revisited

The Saudi rape case continues to roll along with more incredulous statements issued by the Saudi government. Thanks to Jammie, we see the latest nonsense. The Saudis now claim that the reason for the elevated punishment of 200 lashes was the fact that the woman was committing adultery immediately preceding the gang rape.

It makes no sense that this wasn't known at the trial. It also conflicts with the other testimony and reports provided by the Saudis to date.

We know that the judge involved in the appeal more than doubled her original sentence of 90 lashes to 200 lashes because he was pissed that the rape victim and her family was going to the media to plead her case. That she was with another man before the gang rape should have no bearing, but under Islamic law, it's more than sufficient to get beaten to a bloody pulp.

The Saudi government essentially states it is the woman's fault that she was gang raped, and that her punishment of 200 lashes is similarly appropriate:

The statement refers to the first sentence issued by the Qatif General Court before the Higher Court of Justice increased the sentence last week to 200 lashes and six months in prison. The statement went on to accuse the woman and the man of causing the crime.

“They are the main cause of what happened, the woman and her companion, as they exposed themselves to this horrible crime and violated the rule of Shariah,” the statement said. “That’s why the sentences were increased for everyone due to the dangerous nature of the crime.”

The ministry also claimed that the woman violated the sanctity of marriage.

“She knows that ‘khalwa’ with an unrelated man is forbidden by Shariah and by doing this she has broken the sacred matrimonial contract,” the statement said.

The woman is the victim here, and she's getting the worst of the sanctions with 200 lashes. The men who perpetrated the rapes were sentenced to a minimum of 2 years in prison. The appeals court ruled that the original sentences of 2-3 years should be extended to 2-9 years. I have no doubt that they'll be out in the minimum two years.

The woman, however, will have to live with the psychological scars and the physical scars of the rape and subsequent lashings by the Saudi government.