Guidance

United Arab Emirates: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 20 December 2022

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do following a rape or sexual assault, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the local police on 999 if you are in immediate danger and unsafe
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact your nearest British Embassy. We will be polite, patient, sensitive and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell us will be treated in the strictest confidence. We can contact your family or friends for you, if you wish

British Embassy Dubai

Tel: 04 309 4444 (the UAE dial code is +971)

British Embassy Abu Dhabi

Tel: 02 610 1100 (the UAE dial code is +971)

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UAE

Before you go to the police station

UAE law on rape and sexual assault is different to UK law, and the procedures for reporting it are different. Before you report the incident to the police, you should try to contact the British Embassy in UAE or a local lawyer to ensure you are aware of the legal process.

If you choose to report the crime, you should do so as soon as possible. It is important that you keep as much forensic evidence as possible. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you have already changed your clothes, take the clothing that you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes or texts.

At the police station

There may not be specially-trained officers to speak with you at the police station, and not every police station will have female officers. The level of English spoken and understood may be limited. If possible, take someone with you who speaks Arabic.

If you have a tour operator or a visa sponsor, they may be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British embassy, the embassy will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

If you approach the police directly, you can ask them to inform the nearest British embassy, who can offer you consular support. If you prefer to speak to a female about the attack, the embassy will try to ensure that a female consular official is present at any meeting.

Ask the police for the case number and their report. The British embassy can help you with this. Any documents you receive from the police are likely to be in Arabic language.

Whilst homosexual sex is illegal in the UAE, the law states that anyone who sexually assaults a man or a woman can face criminal charges. Contact the British embassy if you have any concerns about this.

If you choose to report the crime in the UAE, you will be expected to provide a full statement, giving details about the attack, for example, where, when, who, the amount of force, and witnesses.

You may need to leave any clothing that you were wearing at the time of the attack for forensic testing. The police will usually ask you to have a physical examination and a blood test by a medical professional. These results will be shared with the police. The police may also ask you to provide your mobile phone for evidence.

After making a statement

UAE law places a high burden of proof on the victim to demonstrate that any sexual intercourse was not consensual. This is especially important if you had consumed alcohol or if you knew the alleged offender.

You and the attacker/accused may be in the same room during parts of the investigation. Your identity may not be kept confidential.

As part of their investigation, the police may take you to the scene of the crime, either to demonstrate what happened or to try and identify and arrest the alleged attacker.

When an arrest is made, the alleged attacker is usually taken before the Public Prosecutor’s office within 24 hours of their arrest. You may also have to attend the Public Prosecutor to make a statement.

If you appoint a lawyer, they will have access to the case notes and will be able to attend the Public Prosecution Office with you. The British embassy can try to request information on any criminal cases but this information may be limited.

Whether you will be permitted to leave the country will depend on how your case progresses. Generally, if a local lawyer has power of attorney, you can leave the UAE. If you have left the UAE without this, you may be asked to return to provide verbal evidence during the court proceedings. If you are not present to provide further statements, the case may be dropped.

If you leave the UAE, the alleged attacker may be released on bail.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in the UAE

The British embassy or consulate will be able to help you. This includes:

• helping you to contact your insurance company and your family
• making arrangements to help you travel back to the UK
• providing you with information on local support in the UK
• providing you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators.

If you are travelling with a tour operator, you can also report the incident to them and ask for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital. If you wish, and depending on location and timing, a member of consular staff may be able to accompany you. If you seek medical assistance from a local hospital, they may report it to the police.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated.

Medical examination: what to expect

All local hospitals in the UAE will treat a patient with medical needs. However only government hospitals are usually able to produce forensic reports. A medical professional will carry out any medical examinations, based on what the police have requested. They may take photographs to be used as evidence. British embassy staff can support you and we can accompany you to the hospital, if the police allow this.

Examination

The police will accompany you to a local government medical facility for forensic examinations. This may include intrusive medical examinations. If the victim is a child, an adult with parental authority will be allowed to be present with the child for the examination.

Treatment

The cost of the medical examination should not exceed 600 UAE dirham. If you are a tourist, you may need to pay for all treatment costs directly, unless you have travel insurance that covers this. You should contact your insurance provider. If you live in UAE, you should check if any tests or treatment will be covered by your insurance.

If you are given medication in the UAE, keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you can inform your local health provider when you return to the UK.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you, and your access to justice, may vary according to where you report the crime. In many countries, you need to report the crime before you leave the country, if you want it to be investigated and for the police to obtain important evidence.

If you are staying in the country where the crime took place, you should report the crime in that country.

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police. The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

Court procedures: what to expect

It is difficult to say how long it will take for a case to be finalised. The Public Prosecution may request additional information or further investigations, which will increase the duration. This may happen several times.

You may be called to give more evidence in person during the court proceedings. Proceedings are not normally held in a closed court, and evidence is not given from behind screens or by video link.

You will need to appoint a local lawyer to ensure you are kept up to date on the progress of your case. A lawyer can also tell you about any actions you need to take. The British embassy can also ask for this information.

After a case has gone to court, you or the alleged attacker will not usually be able to drop the case. The outcome of the case will be decided by the court.

Sentencing

If the alleged attacker is found guilty, possible sentences include prison, a fine, deportation or a combination of these.

Hiring a lawyer

A UAE-based lawyer is best placed to provide legal advice. They should be able to provide advice, for example, to help you make a decision on whether to report the crime. See our list of lawyers and translators. The British embassy cannot recommend an individual lawyer, but we can explain the options to you.

Legal aid

There is no legal aid in the UAE.

When you return to the UK

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice where you live. It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, these organisations may be able to help you.

Country	Details
England	NHS Choices website, or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Archway SARC, phone: 0141 211 8175
Wales	New Pathways SARC, phone: 01685 379 310; Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre - Cardiff and Vale University Health Board
Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland: phone 0800 389 4424

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country that the assault took place in.

Support organisations in the UAE

See our list of charities and counsellors in the UAE.

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither HMG nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (February 2022).