Saudi Ministry of "Justice" has new statement on rape victim

Arab News:

The Ministry of Justice issued a statement yesterday providing more details regarding the charges against a 19-year-old woman who was gang-raped by seven men in Qatif.

The statement, which the ministry says is a response to media scrutiny of the ruling, said that the rape victim confessed to having an illegal affair with the man who was caught with her.

“She went out with him without a mahram, a legal guardian, and exchanged forbidden affairs through the illegal khalwa,” the statement said. “They both confessed to doing what God forbids.”

The ministry said: “The first verdict of 90 lashes was made according to Shariah. The woman and her husband were convinced and agreed to it on 10/10/1427.”

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.

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It is idiotic to claim that the victims of the rapes are the main cause of "what happened." The main cause of what happened is that men decided to rape the woman and her male companion, and what the couple were doing in no way justifies that crime.

This appears to stem from a Muslim belief that males are helpless to stop themselves from raping a woman if she is not with a male relative? Apparently poor impulse control is rampant among men when they see an unattached female in Saudi Arabia. What is it about the Saudi culture that permits should disgusting behavior? This case makes a mockery of justice and demonstrates the need to outlaw Shari'a courts because of their cruel and unusual punishments.
When the justice ministry argues that the couple were the main cause of the violent sexual assault against both, it demonstrates the irrationality of Saudi law and justice.