Laws for Sexual Violence in UAE

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has one of the strongest legal systems in the world. There is a zero-tolerance policy for any violence UAE, especially sexual harassment, such as rape and assault. These are sensitive crimes, and quick legal action is taken against them, ensuring a safe environment for the UAE residents. Crimes like rape and harassment have severe punishments in UAE. Our Sexual\ Harassment Lawyers can also deliver you legal advice in this subject.

As a multicultural country, it isn’t easy to cater to a broad range of expats, especially when all of them come from different backgrounds. However, these foreigners bring cultures and new perspectives to the UAE economy. Though the crime rate is very low in the UAE, some heinous crimes are reported. Rape and harassment cases are prioritized for a quick solution, ensuring justice for the survivor of the crime. Rape is an act of forceful sexual intercourse.

However, harassment can be physical, verbal, or online. Anyone being threatened, humiliated, or feeling uncomfortable around someone is known as harassment. Both crimes are severe under Islamic and federal laws. Sexual Harassment Lawyers help the residents with support and justice.

The UAE culture totally discourages these kinds of offenses for anyone. However, strict punishments against harassment and rape deter the crime offender in the UAE, but the survivors go through social stigma. Though the government aims to encourage people to report those crimes and support them, sometimes the victims are hesitant to do the act of bravery in the UAE.

The UAE has strict laws against rape and harassment. They are developed under Islamic principles and federal laws. However, the Federal Penal Code has decided punishments for both cases:

• Punishment for Rape

The punishment for rape could be either imprisonment for life or the death penalty, also known as capital punishment. However, the forensic evidence, medical reports, and testimonies from the witness can establish a clear case of rape, ensuring the culprit gets the right amount of punishment.

• Punishment for Harassment

Harassment usually happens at workplaces. Therefore, the UAE has developed workplace harassment laws, encouraging individuals to report such cases. Depending on the harassment, one can be imprisoned, pay a fine, or even get deported if they are an expat in the UAE. The fine for harassment ranges from AED 10,000 to AED 50,000 and the harasser can be put in jail for two years. But if you are a foreigner in the UAE, you will be imprisoned in the UAE and later deported to your home country.

The UAE government ensures that everyone feels safe in the region. It has created several channels where the individuals can report a harassment or a rape case, ensuring the confidentiality and accessibility of the victim. Police hotlines are created where the victim can make a call and report the case directly to the police authorities. Please it’s better to consult Sexual Harassment Lawyers first.

With the integration of technology, the UAE legal system has created several apps to digitalise everything for the future. However, the Dubai Police App allows the victim to report the crime with full confidentiality. There are support communities and organizations that provide shelter and legal aid to the survivors of rape and harassment.

The UAE government is proactive with criminal laws. It ensures that everyone is safe, especially individuals living alone in the UAE. However, there are different mechanisms to prevent rape and harassment in the UAE. There have been several awareness campaigns running in the UAE and on social media platforms, educating the masses about rape and making them realize harassment situations at work. Schools and universities have also conducted various workshops on personal safety, anti-harassment policies, and ethics, ensuring that students are aware of their surroundings. However, bars and nightclubs are strictly monitored by high-tech surveillance cameras with AI features such as facial recognition.

The UAE government has made several laws to fight against rape and harassment. However, there are still challenges to combat these crimes. Many survivors hesitate to report the case as they are afraid of the repercussions and do not want to put their own and family’s reputations at stake. In some cultures, these topics are so sensitive that one cannot talk about them with family members easily. There have been several acts of harassment online, but victims are unable to report them as proper mechanisms are maintained yet in the UAE. However, the expats are in need of support in such cases because they are the vulnerable population in the UAE and are unable to handle the stress of these types of cases.

Looking at the crime rate for rape and harassment, the UAE government has decided to strengthen the laws, by making amendments to the Federal Penal Code, which previously penalized the victim for extramarital relations. Moreover, strict penalties are made for the offender who has repeatedly committed the same crime many times. The UAE government is trying its best to provide a safe space for women in the region. Therefore, it is focusing on gender equality these days.

The UAE has reflected a zero-tolerance policy with its proactive approach to managing harassment and rape cases. Comparing the penalties with other countries, the UAE has ensured harsh punishments for crime offenders, deterring other individuals from committing such crimes in the future. However, cultural differences have also played a significant role in preventing crimes in the UAE.

The legal system of the UAE is integrated with Islamic principles, under which blood money (compensation to the victim) is paid by the crime offender rather than sending them to jail. The technology integrated into the UAE security system has also helped the country in crime prevention.

If you have been harassed at work or a victim of rape in the UAE, you can hire legal services. However, you must hire an expert legal consultant. These cases are very sensitive, and not every lawyer understands cultural sensitivity. Therefore, you must meet the lawyer in person to know more about them. Nevertheless, the UAE government is trying to foster positive relations with the expats, so legal reforms are being created to ensure the safety of every individual in the region. People really need to visit those campaigns where they get to know about the differences between harassment and rape. Moreover, helplines in the UAE are always activated to listen to victims’ complaints.

Despite the strict criminal laws, crimes are reported in the UAE. Cases of harassment and rape are sensitive and confidential in the UAE. They might take time to resolve because the victim’s forensic and medical reports should also be evident in the case of rape. However, the harassment case would depend on whether it was verbal or physical. In both cases, imprisonment can be the solution. The more severe a crime is, the harsher punishments are there in the UAE’s legal system.

Compared to other countries, the UAE is considered to be one of the safest places to live. It actually has a very low criminal rate despite the fact that its major population is expats.

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