COMMENT: Personal travel risk highlighted by Qatari rape case
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Last week the world witnessed an appalling hate crime in Orlando in which over 100 members of the LGBT community were killed and injured. Unfortunately, there is very little that these victims might have done differently to avoid being in the nightclub at the time, no risk assessment would have predicted this outcome.
From a personal travel risk perspective, a far more worrying and alarming bit of news came out this week, the case of the Dutch lady who reported being raped to the police in Doha, Qatar and was subsequently arrested under an adultery charge for having sex out of wedlock.
It transpires she had been drinking legally at a hotel bar with a friend while on holiday. She believes that her drink was spiked at the bar and she woke up alone having been raped. She reported the crime to the police and was detained and held for 3 months. At her trial she was given a year’s suspended sentence and released to return home.
As the Gulf States are considered increasingly normal and Westernised for tourists we often overlook the fact that we are visiting countries with a very different religious and cultural environment to our own. This perception is increased by the increasing use of their airlines for travel and the fact they host global events such as Qatar hosting the 2022 Football World Cup. The fact that visitors may have easy and legal access to alcohol can further enhance this feeling of normality.
Visitors should understand in the first instance that the legal system is completely different, based significantly on Sharia law, and the way it is interpreted can often be very biased against women. Unfortunately, this case is not unique in the region and if you are a victim of crime you should consider reporting it through your embassy and not directly to the police; especially if of a sexual nature or if you are a member of the LGBT community, for whom there are few rights.
Kissing in public is illegal in the United Arab Emirates and every now and again cases are reported of people being deported for this crime, even married couples. More worryingly in the same location homosexuality can carry the death sentence and there are long prison sentences for sodomy. Wherever we travel, it is essential to do some research to establish the environment we will be entering; especially the main cultural, religious and legal differences compared with our home countries.
Another aspect of this case was that her drink was spiked, a crime one may overlook in a country in which the locals are not allowed to drink. Unfortunately, this happens globally and you should never leave drinks unattended; if you do, order fresh drinks rather than take the risk. It is also inadvisable to ever drink alone, ensure you are with a group of friends or colleagues and keep an eye out for each other.
Business Support
If you are a business traveller and your research shows that you may face increased levels of personal risk at your destination because of who you are, speak to your company about what support they will offer you should you get into a jam. Their response and support should form a part of the risk assessment they have conducted prior to you being sent there.
Both these terrible incidents should also remind us that we may face discrimination, hate and intolerance because of our race, gender, sex, ethnicity or a combination of them all, anywhere on the planet. Always do your research before travel and try to adapt your behaviour to that expected at your destination. We all have different personal risk profiles and we must factor these into our preparations and travel habits. Do not readily believe what the advertisers want you to believe, the world is not as flat as they make out.
beTravelwise’s My Travel Wise course advises how individuals prepare for and conduct safe travel by reducing personal risk
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