As Qatar opens up to the world with a World Cup on the horizon, a Mexican woman denounced how women can be very vulnerable in the Islamic country.
Paola Schietekat arrived in the Qatari capital Doha in February 2020 to work for the government in organizing the 2022 World Cup.
After a year and a half living there, she says she was the victim of an assault. But when she went to the authorities to file a complaint, the case turned against her: Paola was accused of “extramarital sex”, a crime under Islamic law.
The 27-year-old was sentenced to seven years in prison and one hundred lashes. And, surprisingly, she was given an alternative: she could get rid of the penalty, but for that she would have to marry her abuser.
“After this process, I realized that despite my academic degrees, professional preparation, financial independence and despite working for the government of Qatar, I am vulnerable to human rights violations by archaic and abusive institutions, and unable to find protection in my consulate. “, denounced Paola in a post on Facebook in which she exposed what happened.
The young woman managed to leave Qatar last year, but has since said that justice has not been done in her case and that her attacker is free.
And she says that Mexicans, and also minorities like women and LGBT people who are going to visit that country for the World Cup, can be victims of the country’s system.
Mexican Chancellor Marcelo Ebrard met with her last Friday (2/18) and assured her that he would put at her disposal the best lawyer to defend her.
She regrets not receiving support until her case made headlines in the Mexican and international press last week.
report of aggression
Living in the Middle East since 2019, Paola moved to Qatar in February 2020 to work as an economist at the Supreme Committee, the entity in charge of organizing the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
It was a dream job, as she put it, until it was abruptly stopped on June 6, 2021.
According to the young Mexican woman’s complaint, an acquaintance of hers from the Latino community of Doha forced his way into her apartment at night, while she was sleeping, and physically assaulted her, leaving several wounds on her arm and abdomen.
She went to the police to report the attack, but says that with insufficient command of Arabic and a lack of advice from the Mexican consulate or an outside lawyer, things soon got complicated.
“The consul did not advise me on how my complaint could be used against me,” the young woman told the Mexican press.
This is because, in seeking to reach the ultimate legal consequences — as recommended by the Mexican consul in Qatar, Luis Ancona, according to her — Islamic law puts women at a disadvantage in relation to men.
His attacker was called to appear before the authorities, but he used an argument that favored him: he claimed to have a relationship with Paola.
“While there was no evidence to support his accusation, there was also no presumption of innocence for me. And even though I was a victim, the authorities treated me as a criminal,” she said.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Mexico, the Qatari authorities launched an investigation “which resulted in the prosecution of the citizen and her attacker for the crime of ‘zina'”.
This is how sexual relations outside of marriage or premarital relations are defined, punishable by up to seven years in prison and one hundred lashes.
“Qatar legislation severely punishes some behavior under the religious code (sharia)”, explains the ministry.
In the process, police tried to subject her to “a virginity test,” which Paola described as a “dehumanizing, humiliating and revictimizing act” that she was able to extricate herself from by forcibly presenting a certificate of divorce from what she had previously been through.
“The Public Ministry released me on the condition that I leave my cell phone at their disposal to complete the investigation of the ‘fornication’ case,” she said.
Although she was released on bail, this also happened to her alleged attacker – and because of that, she says she feared for her integrity if she stayed in the country.
Paola pointed out that the Mexican embassy in Qatar offered him “accompaniment” at first, but did so “with a notorious ignorance of the local culture, laws and language, which facilitated the misinterpretation of justice”.
“The support I received from the consul was minimal and disdainful,” she criticized, adding that once she hired an outside lawyer, the Mexican authorities left her to her own devices.
In the face of the aggressor’s contacts through social networks, they suggested “close the door and keep on waiting”, said the young woman in her public complaint.
Paola managed to leave Qatar 20 days after the attack.
Mexico’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement last week that the embassy “supported the citizen and ensured that due process of law is respected, in accordance with the laws in force in that country.”
But for Paola, that statement was “intended to invalidate me. At no point was there any expression of a little empathy. There were false statements,” she said.
Many Mexicans expressed support for the young woman, who said she hoped that justice would be done in her case and even considered the possibility of returning to Qatar.
A hearing is scheduled for March 6 in Doha to assess the case.
