A British woman who was arrested after accusing two men of rape has been told she’s free to leave Dubai.
Prosecutors in the UAE city were holding the woman for “extra marital sex” after she claimed she was raped by two men while on holiday there.
But after authorities studied mobile phone footage of the alleged attack, they dropped the case, stating that the “act happened with the consent of the three parties in question.”
“A video obtained from the mobile phone of one of the suspects detailing the act was a key evidence that supported this conclusion,” added the prosecutor.
The three parties involved are all British nationals, with all being under the ages of 25.
The female victim was horrified to see a photo of her two alleged attackers relaxing with reality TV star James Argent –who stars in British series The Only Way Is Essex.
The 25-year-old tourist claims that she was attacked by the two men in a hotel last month but authorities have instead chosen to charge her with having sex outside of marriage, according to the UK’s Telegraph.
Under Emirati law it is illegal for people to have sex outside of wedlock or for a single person to have sex with a married person.
Extra-marital sex is a capital offence and if found guilty the woman could face jail or deportation.
Laws about alcohol and dress codes are more liberal in Dubai than neighbouring “dry” states such as Saudi Arabia. However, all displays of public affection between men and women are banned and touching members of the opposite sex in public is severely frowned upon.
In 2008, two Britons accused of having sex on Jumeirah Beach in Dubai were jailed for three months. The sentence was later suspended.
