UK 'sex on beach' trial

[Fop 1]

UK 'sex on beach' trial delayed

 

The trial of a British man and woman accused of having sex on a beach in Dubai has been delayed for a week.

 

Vince Acors, 34, of Bromley, south-east London, and Michelle Palmer, 36, of Oakham, Rutland, appeared at the Gulf state's Court of First Instance.

 

The trial was adjourned until next Tuesday, when a police officer who allegedly saw them will give evidence.

 

The pair deny charges of public indecency and having unmarried sex but admit consuming alcohol.

 

They were arrested after allegedly being seen having sex on a public beach on 5 July.

 

Mr Acors and Miss Palmer, who are both on bail, arrived separately at court.

 

If found guilty they could face a prison sentence of up to six years, but senior prosecutor Faisal Abdelmalek Ahli says they are more likely to be jailed for between six months and a year as well as being fined and deported.

 

'I'm sorry'

 

In a statement to the court at a previous hearing, Miss Palmer said: "We were just kissing and hugging. We didn't have sex together. I was lying on top of him.

 

"I have been in Dubai for two-and-a-half years without committing any kind of offence. I'm sorry."

 

The pair met hours before their arrest at a £60 all-you-can-drink champagne brunch at the Le Meridien Hotel, close to Dubai Airport.

 

One witness, a 21-year-old Palestinian man, told police he saw them "start kissing" after getting out of a taxi.

 

According to Mr Ahli, the police officer who made the arrests described seeing Miss Palmer with her "shirt off" and "sitting on" Mr Acors.

 

The officer said the couple had not noticed him until he shone his torch in their direction.

 

Miss Palmer, who worked for the ITP Publishing Group, was sacked following her arrest.

 

"Following an internal review of this incident, the company has dismissed the member of staff in question," said a company spokeswoman.

 

 

"One witness, a 21-year-old Palestinian man, told police he saw them "start kissing" after getting out of a taxi."

 

Better hang them quick.

[Guest alex]

Whatever happened to Grooverider with that cannabis charge there? He was looking at about 4 years iirc. I wouldn't even go to Dubai Airport on the way to somewhere else tbh. Their laws are medieval.

[Fop 1]

Whatever happened to Grooverider with that cannabis charge there? He was looking at about 4 years iirc. I wouldn't even go to Dubai Airport on the way to somewhere else tbh. Their laws are medieval.

 

Still locked up I think (as are quite a few other, lower profile, British people).

 

The two big problems with their drugs laws are that their machines can potentially detect amounts so small that you might have them on you anyway (i.e. paper money and cocaine in the UK) and that they are being operated by muppets.

 

The 3rd issue is that they specifically target Westerners.

 

 

Anybody would be daft to travel through there without good reason.

Edited September 2, 2008 by Fop

[Guest alex]

Whatever happened to Grooverider with that cannabis charge there? He was looking at about 4 years iirc. I wouldn't even go to Dubai Airport on the way to somewhere else tbh. Their laws are medieval.

 

Still locked up I think (as are quite a few other, lower profile, British people).

 

The two big problems with their drugs laws are that their machines can potentially detect amounts so small that you might have them on you anyway (i.e. paper money and cocaine in the UK) and that they are being operated by muppets.

 

The 3rd issue is that they specifically target Westerners.

 

 

Anybody would be daft to travel through there without good reason.

Checked and apparently he was sentenced to four years. Four years in a Dubai jail. Nice. For having one spliff on him. Stupid on his part but a ridiculous sentence all the same (minimum sentence for 'trafficking', apparently).

[Dr Kenneth Noisewater 0]

There are guys in prison over there for the 'drug offences' of having poppy seeds on you (from a sandwich) and a guy who had the butt of a spliff caught in the tread on the sole of his shoe. Family guy who'd never touched dope iirc.

[Rob W 0]

If you go to other countries don't expect to be treated the way you are here - how anyone doesn't realise this beggars belief

 

Dubai doesn't interfere if you keep your behavior to yourself but any idiot should understand you have to be a bit more careful in public

 

Spain used to the same FFS a few years back - no bikinis, no snogging in public

[Guest alex]

If you go to other countries don't expect to be treated the way you are here - how anyone doesn't realise this beggars belief

 

Dubai doesn't interfere if you keep your behavior to yourself but any idiot should understand you have to be a bit more careful in public

 

Spain used to the same FFS a few years back - no bikinis, no snogging in public

Which is why I wouldn't go. These people probably were a bit stupid. That doesn't excuse the ridiculously draconian legal systems in places like this though.

[Fop 1]

If you go to other countries don't expect to be treated the way you are here - how anyone doesn't realise this beggars belief

 

Dubai doesn't interfere if you keep your behavior to yourself but any idiot should understand you have to be a bit more careful in public

 

Spain used to the same FFS a few years back - no bikinis, no snogging in public

 

 

Funny it doesn't work both ways though isn't it?

 

 

 

Having said that their drugs policy is ridiculous because it's specifically targeted at people they don't like (Westerners) and you can be done for being completely innocent (not just happening to have a drug on you that is restricted there but legal to buy in most of the rest of the world).

 

Having a speck of something stuck to your shoe is not "guilt", it's injustice..... but that I guess is "ok" eh?

[Holden McGroin 6975]

Ive been to Dubai on two separate occasion and have a few mates working over there.

 

I dont know where you get this: "We hate westerners" crap from.

 

As long as you respect the system then you'll have no problem.

 

I've walked into a 5-a-star hotel bar/club which was just full of foriegn hookers. Everyone knew it, hotel staff, door men. They just turned a blind eye to it.

Edited September 3, 2008 by Holden McGroin

[Craig 6703]

Whether they were shagging or not, their actions were not appropriate being in a country where laws on sex in public places are so strict.

 

He's lucky they haven't machete'd his knob off tbh

[Guest alex]

Dubai looks fucking horrible anyway tbh.

[Holden McGroin 6975]

Dubai looks fucking horrible anyway tbh.

 

I dont mind it. Very safe place. What exactly makes you think that?

[Guest alex]

Dubai looks fucking horrible anyway tbh.

 

I dont mind it. Very safe place. What exactly makes you think that?

Not my cup of tea mate. It looks amazing in terms of the architecture but it strikes me as a bit of a staid place catering to people with loads of dosh who think having a good time means staying in a 7 star hotel. Also, it seems geared towards luxury shopping, another thing I don't look for in a holiday. Basically the likes of Wayne Rooney go there and it's all a bit 'Wag's Boutique' (never even seen that but it seems to describe what I'm getting at). You can only get drinks in the hotel bars and all that too, aye? It's basically just posh hotels in the desert.

[Fop 1]

Ive been to Dubai on two separate occasion and have a few mates working over there.

 

I dont know where you get this: "We hate westerners" crap from.

 

As long as you respect the system then you'll have no problem.

 

I've walked into a 5-a-star hotel bar/club which was just full of foriegn hookers. Everyone knew it, hotel staff, door men. They just turned a blind eye to it.

 

No, I'm not saying they do.

 

I'm saying that their new drugs "security system" is being used in that way, it's pretty well documented that this is the case (much like the police ballsing up the Lawrence investigation doesn't mean every non-black British person hates black people).

 

It's probably little different to EU traffic enforcement in that way, only with much worse consequences.

[Fop 1]

Whether they were shagging or not, their actions were not appropriate being in a country where laws on sex in public places are so strict.

 

He's lucky they haven't machete'd his knob off tbh

 

 

Hanging is too good for them, just imagine if they'd been gay and at it , the clearly degenerate fuckers would have been peeled alive and thought themselves lucky.

[Rob W 0]

"Funny it doesn't work both ways though isn't it?"

 

 

Well of course it does - yer average Mullah would blow a gasket after 1 minute in C Newcastle at night

 

"When in Rome ..etc etc"

[Rob W 0]

Dubai looks fucking horrible anyway tbh.

 

I dont mind it. Very safe place. What exactly makes you think that?

Not my cup of tea mate. It looks amazing in terms of the architecture but it strikes me as a bit of a staid place catering to people with loads of dosh who think having a good time means staying in a 7 star hotel. Also, it seems geared towards luxury shopping, another thing I don't look for in a holiday. Basically the likes of Wayne Rooney go there and it's all a bit 'Wag's Boutique' (never even seen that but it seems to describe what I'm getting at). You can only get drinks in the hotel bars and all that too, aye? It's basically just posh hotels in the desert.

 

 

Agreed - bugger all to do but work and eat and shop

 

Not pretty like Oman or Yemen but a damn site better than Saudi

 

You can get booze but I think you have to have a license .....

 

from the residents guide ver 11.0

 

In Dubai, it is legal for anyone over the age of 21 to buy alcohol at licensed bars, restaurants and some clubs, for consumption on the premises .This does not apply to all

the emirates. However, if you wish to imbibe at home you will need a liquor licence. Liquor licences are only issued to non- Muslims earning over Dhs .4,000 per month and are only

valid for use in the emirate in which they were issued ; the amount that you can spend to each month on alcohol is determined by your monthly salary.

 

There are two companies that operate liquor stores in Dubai : African & Eastern (A&E) and Maritime & Mercantile Intemational (MMI). Both have branches in several locations around the city. The selection is decent, and prices are not so bad: wine costs from around Dhs .20 and upwards ; vodka from Dhs60, whisky from Dhs.80; and beer from Dhs.4 to Dhs.8 per can or Dhs.100 to Dhs.1 35 per case. There is a catch however ; alcohol is subject to 30% tax on top of the marked prices and, although this is not included in your allowance, it can be a bit of a shock at the till.

 

The alcohol available at the airport is similar in price to the shops in town, but you don't pay the tax.

 

In the time-honoured tradition of there being a way round everything, there are a number of 'hole in the wall' stores close to Dubai that sell duty-free alcohol to

members of the public, even if you don't have a licence. Prices are reasonable and there is no tax . You can pick up a cheap bottle of plonk from around Dhs .15, and most

international brands of beer, wine and spirits are available . There are several dubious brands of whisky, brandy and vodka on sale for around Dhs .1 0, but drink these at your

peril!

 

Barracuda Beach Resort and Centaurus International are popular, with low prices, and with the new road it is a quick drive there (only about 30-60 minutes from the Emirates Road interchange near Mirdif) .

 

You don't need to worry about being busted buying booze illegally, but you should be careful when driving home, because it is the transporting of alcohol that could get you into

often trouble, especially if you are busted within the borders of the Sharjah emirate. There are no roadblocks, but if you have an accident and have a boot full of liquor, your day

will probably take a sudden turn for the worse .

[Walliver 0]

Seems like a sensible idea regarding alcohol in all honesty.

[Fop 1]

"Funny it doesn't work both ways though isn't it?"

 

 

Well of course it does - yer average Mullah would blow a gasket after 1 minute in C Newcastle at night

 

"When in Rome ..etc etc"

 

Well he wouldn't be doing as you say then would he.

 

Nor I suspect embracing anti-sexism legislation, nor anti-homophobia legislation, nor indeed freedom of religious belief legislation.

[Guest alex]

"Funny it doesn't work both ways though isn't it?"

 

 

Well of course it does - yer average Mullah would blow a gasket after 1 minute in C Newcastle at night

 

"When in Rome ..etc etc"

 

Well he wouldn't be doing as you say then would he.

 

Nor I suspect embracing anti-sexism legislation, nor anti-homophobia legislation, nor indeed freedom of religious belief legislation.

It's one of the reason why the UK is a much better place to live tbf. You're afforded freedoms you don't have over there. When you're in a foreign country you should be respectful of their laws and customs though, which these people were not.

[Fop 1]

"Funny it doesn't work both ways though isn't it?"

 

 

Well of course it does - yer average Mullah would blow a gasket after 1 minute in C Newcastle at night

 

"When in Rome ..etc etc"

 

Well he wouldn't be doing as you say then would he.

 

Nor I suspect embracing anti-sexism legislation, nor anti-homophobia legislation, nor indeed freedom of religious belief legislation.

It's one of the reason why the UK is a much better place to live tbf. You're afforded freedoms you don't have over there. When you're in a foreign country you should be respectful of their laws and customs though, which these people were not.

 

Perhaps, but like I said funny it doesn't work both ways.

 

Although I disagree that you should always "respect" laws and customs just because they are laws and customs. Just because a lot of people believe or do something doesn't necessarily make it right or ok..... it just means a lot of people believe or do something.

 

I mean does a homosexual person suddenly become heterosexual if they visit a country where that is illegal? Or it is "ok" just so long as they don't "do" anything and or no one notices? (like being a priest)

[Fop 1]

Actually Egypt is having some interesting issues regarding women at the moment:

 

 

 

 

Egypt voices: Sexual harassment

 

Seven Egyptian women talk about their experience of sexual harassment on the streets of Cairo. It is an increasingly common problem, with a recent survey suggesting more than four out of five women have been sexually harassed, while nearly two-thirds of men admitted assaulting women.

 

NOHA WAGIH

 

 

Once I was out driving with my brother when he stopped at a supermarket and I waited for him outside. Two guys got out of a car and walked towards me in an intimidating way. They started commenting on the way I look and the way I'm dressed.

 

I usually don't answer back, but this time I said: 'I'm not here to get picked up, you know.' This was too much for one of them who started shouting that I was crazy. I replied that even if I were a prostitute, I wouldn't give him a second glance.

 

This made him mad. He came right up to me, shouting that he was a policeman and he would 'show me'. In no time three more cars pulled up, and a group of men got out and started yelling at me and my brother.

 

I wrote down the number of the first car saying I was going to report him. He got so angry I thought he was going to beat me, so I slapped his face and started shouting 'Rape!' They all ran away, and I was left alone with my brother shaking with fear.

 

After this experience I want to make a programme for TV about sexual harassment.

 

 

 

POSY ABDOU

 

 

I get harassed 100 times a day. I tried everything to stop it but it doesn't stop. I wear loose clothes, I don't wear make up, I spend more than an hour in front of the mirror everyday thinking of ways to hide my body.

 

I walk home everyday. It only takes me 15 minutes, I cross the bridge. It is usually very loud and busy, but that does not stop men from approaching girls, any girl, good looking or bad looking, covered or not.

 

I remember so many scary harassments. There was this guy who followed me and suddenly grabbed my bottom in front of everyone. I screamed but he ran away and no one interfered.

 

Once I was shopping with my father and aunt, and this guy kept staring at me and blowing me kisses. My dad shouted at him and started hitting him. I think men are doing this because they are jobless and have no manners.

 

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NORA KHALED

 

I get harassed everyday, during the five minutes I walk from my house to the main street to take the school bus.

 

Also in the seconds I cross the street when I finish my swimming class at the sports club.

 

I was waiting for the school bus once when a microbus driver followed me and kept calling me very bad names.

 

I was so scared and embarrassed, I cried.

 

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NANCY FAKHR

 

 

I don't walk a lot in the streets, because I have a car. But I get harassed by guys driving close to me, they try to grab my attention, it could lead to accidents.

 

The worst harassment I remember was last winter. I didn't have my car and I was sleeping over at my sister's house. I got up at 0700 to catch the bus and go to work. A guy followed me and kept calling me very bad names. I was horrified and I started walking fast, even running.

 

When he got very close to me, I was scared he would touch me, so I picked a stone from the floor and threw it at him and ran as fast as I could until I got to the main street and took the bus.

 

I was shaking and trembling. When I arrived at work, I collapsed and cried for a long time. When my colleagues asked me what is wrong, I lied and said I have family problems.

 

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ZEINAB BOULAKI

 

I get harassed whenever I walk down the street; even during the seconds I cross the street to take my car.

 

Yesterday, when I was parking the car in front of my house, a guy grabbed my bottom, I shouted at him, and insulted him. At least I did something about it.

 

My mother says I shouldn't answer back, but I think this is wrong. This way they will think they can harass anyone and get away with it. I know that shouting at someone who harasses me verbally or physically is not enough but at least it makes me feel better than doing nothing.

 

 

 

HODA GALLAL

 

I get harassed every day, although I am always carrying my baby. I thought being a mother would make me immune to harassment, but it made it even worse.

 

Once I was waiting for the bus with my child and a car stopped, the guy waved his hand at me with a 20 pound note. It was unbelievable. Another time I was walking home and this guy unzipped his trousers in a car next to me.

 

I screamed, but he shouted back very aggressively, saying 'Who do you think you are? Why would I even look at you?' People in the street gathered around us and to my surprise they were not sympathetic with me. They supported him. They all defended the guy because they do the same thing.

 

Once I was walking with a friend and this guy suddenly grabbed her from behind. We shouted for help and he ran away. A car stopped, they asked us what had happened, had we been mugged? When we told them that we'd been sexually harassed, they drove away. Isn't this worse than robbery?

 

 

 

REEM IBRAHIM

 

I get harassed a lot. I can't count the number of times, especially on public transport.

 

There was this guy who kept following me from one bus to another. If I stood up he stood by my side and if I sat down he sat beside me. Finally I shouted at him and insulted him, he left the minibus.

 

I stopped wearing skirts, and stopped doing my hair at the hairdresser's, I also stopped wearing make up, even my fiance asks me why aren't you taking care of your looks as you used to do.

 

But what can I do, I try to stop it but nothing works. I used to always have a smile on my face while walking down the streets, now I am always frowning, always provoked, always feeling the threat of someone approaching me physically or verbally.

 

At a bus or a microbus, I always feel there is a hand trying to touch me. It happened so many times, that I keep looking at the seat behind me as if I am crazy.

 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/7593765.stm

 

 

When in Egypt sexually harass/assault women?

[Rob W 0]

Indeed

 

but India is even worse I understand................. and Japan can be pretty bad ..... and the Deep South in the USA ...... and the Bigg Market .........

 

basically anywhere there are uneducated blokes...................

[Meenzer 15873]

I mean does a homosexual person suddenly become heterosexual if they visit a country where that is illegal? Or it is "ok" just so long as they don't "do" anything and or no one notices? (like being a priest)

Well sure, if the thing that's illegal is homosexual acts rather than being one thing or another. Just like it's not illegal to be a paedophile, even in Portsmouth, just as long as you're not acting on it.

[Fop 1]

I mean does a homosexual person suddenly become heterosexual if they visit a country where that is illegal? Or it is "ok" just so long as they don't "do" anything and or no one notices? (like being a priest)

Well sure, if the thing that's illegal is homosexual acts rather than being one thing or another. Just like it's not illegal to be a paedophile, even in Portsmouth, just as long as you're not acting on it.

 

It's only a technicality until they can read you mind. Although plenty have laws against showing support and such as well.

 

 

Although would you really obey such a law out of "respect" (and not fear, or just not obey it discreetly)?