Guidance

Guidance for victims of rape and sexual assault in Qatar

Updated 13 September 2022

If you have 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.

This information is to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to:

• seek medical advice and attention
• report to local police
• engage with foreign legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault overseas

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and Sexual Assault: Returning to the UK.

Qatar is a conservative Muslim state and extramarital sex in Qatar is a crime. The term ‘extramarital sex’ applies to a married person having sex with someone who is not their spouse, and unmarried people having sex.

Victims of rape and/or sexual assault may be charged with having sex outside of marriage. However, this is at the Public Prosecutor’s discretion, and will depend on all the facts.

Homosexuality is a criminal offence in Qatar. Everyone, if found guilty of these offences, could face a fine, prison sentence and/or deportation. Muslims, regardless of nationality, may also face corporal punishment (usually flogging, beating administered with a whip or rod).

Whilst a number of hotels in Qatar are licensed to serve alcohol, it is a criminal offence to drink or to be drunk in a public place. Anyone found guilty of these offences could face a fine, prison sentence and/or deportation. Blood tests will be carried out as part of the forensic investigation. If you are found to have alcohol in your system, or were drinking before the attack, this may count against you in court.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, 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 international emergency number on 999
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact your nearest British Embassy on +974 4496 2000. Embassy staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish

Contact the British Embassy in Doha.

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

Before you go to the police station

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you contact the British embassy they 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 contact the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the nearest British embassy on +974 4496 2000 and they can offer you consular support.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, take those you were wearing during the assault to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts/WhatsApp messages.

At the police station

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged.

Ask for a police report, with case number. This document is likely to be in Arabic. You will need to get this translated. The British Embassy will be able to provide you with a list of translation companies.

When you report the attack, the police station may not have officers specially-trained to deal sensitively with victims of rape or sexual assault. There may not be any female officers. Police officers may not be able to speak English fluently. If possible, take someone with you who speaks Arabic.

A representative from the Consular section of the British embassy may accompany you to the police station if you choose to report the crime. However, they will not be able to intervene in the investigation process and any translation provided will be on the understanding it is on an informal basis.

You may need to give your passport to the police during the investigation. This will be returned to you when your case is completed. Depending on your case, you, the alleged attacker and witnesses may be subject to travel bans (preventing exit from Qatar) during the investigation.

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

The British embassy can help you contact your insurance company and your family, make arrangements to travel back to the UK and provide you with information on local support in the UK.

Consular officers can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators in Qatar, if you need medical attention or legal advice.

If you choose not to report the crime, you may still be able to seek medical attention at the Women’s Wellness & Research Centre Emergency Department or a private clinic. However, all medical facilities are legally obliged to report cases of rape and sexual assault and the results from any examinations will be shared with the local police. So even if you choose not to report the crime, the police will normally be notified.

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

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 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 are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

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.

Reporting the incident in Qatar: what happens next

You can call the Hamad Medical Corporation Sexual Assault Service on +974 4025 6460. They can offer advice on Qatar’s legal processes, including police reporting and forensic services, mental health support, and medication for male and female victims. You can find more information on the Hamad Medical Corporation Sexual Assault Service website.

If you wish, a member of the consular team can accompany you to the appointment. You will undergo a physical examination and blood tests, to establish whether alcohol and drugs were involved, especially in an allegation of date rape. These results will be sent directly to the police.

The medical examination: what to expect

Doctors who are the same gender as you will carry out the examination at the Forensic Medicine Centre. They will note any bruising, cuts, or marks on your body, carry out an internal examination, and take swabs. This information will be included in the report sent to the police, and as evidence presented in court, if there is a court case.

Staff at the medical centre may not speak English. If possible, ask a friend who speaks Arabic to accompany you. British embassy staff cannot provide any medical translation services and if they translate, it will only be on an informal basis.

Treatment

You can receive treatment at the Hamad Medical Corporation Sexual Assault Service (details above).

All medical staff in Qatar, regardless of which facility they work for, are legally obliged to notify the police of any allegations of rape and sexual assault. There is a police station within Hamad General Hospital.

Rape victims are treated as a priority, but the timeframes will depend on how busy the medical facility is.

You can ask to be seen by a male or female doctor.

If you attend the hospital, ask for a social worker to be assigned to you. The social worker will act as a point of contact for you and will be responsible for coordinating actions between you, the patient, family, caregivers, legal guardian or next of kin, the hospital and other agencies (including the police).

If you are a resident of Qatar, you should bring your Hamad Health Card, QID and insurance documents. If you’re a tourist, you should bring your passport and insurance documents.

HIV PEP medication (Post-exposure prophylaxis), a treatment that can prevent HIV infection is available in Qatar but is only available through Hamad Medical Corporation at the Women’s Wellness and Research Centre. PEP will be given if the alleged attacker may be HIV positive. You will be given advice about PEP at the time.

HIV PEP medication must be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28-day treatment on your return to the UK.

If you are concerned about the possibility of contracting sexually transmitted infections, request that the appropriate tests be administered when you first attend the facility. You should also ask that these tests be repeated in the future as some infections will take time to develop.

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

Police investigations in Qatar: what to expect

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

If the Police make an arrest, the alleged attacker will usually be taken before the Public Prosecution within 24 hours of their arrest.

It is always better for the victim to appear in person during the police investigation, to give their statement and evidence and they should seek the advice of a lawyer.

Once appointed, a lawyer will have access to the case papers. You should appoint any lawyer as early as possible. Some English speaking law firms offer an initial pro bono service but this is limited to one email, one telephone call or one office-based appointment, and will be time limited. This may not always be available.

You may not be permitted to leave the country if you have had a travel ban imposed, either by the Police, Public Prosecution or at the request of the alleged attacker’s defence lawyer.

Court procedures: what to expect

You should expect to be called to testify at court hearings and give evidence. It is very unusual for a case to be heard in closed court, or for evidence to be given from behind screens or by video link.

If you do not have a lawyer, you will be responsible for keeping in contact through the Public Prosecution. If you have appointed a lawyer, they will follow up on your case and will likely have access to more information.

If your case is referred for further investigation, you might be asked for more information or to give further evidence.

Your case can be withdrawn if it has not been referred to the court. If you choose, you can withdraw your claim of assault, but it will depend on the judge’s discretion to continue or close the case. There are no legal repercussions if you choose to withdraw your case, unless it is proven that there was no justification to the case in the first instance or it was filed maliciously or vindictively.

You may be questioned by the prosecutor, defendant or their lawyer, if they appear in court. You can answer questions without attending court by using a notarised affidavit. Your sexual history may be taken into consideration.

If you are filing a civil compensation case, your identity is not concealed, even if you decide not to attend the hearing. In a criminal case, if the judge finds that the case harms the dignity of the parties, the judge may decide to proceed in a closed court. This means that no one will be able to find out your identity, except those in court.

The alleged attacker could also file a counter claim against you. They would need to file it in the initial stages of the investigation by the Police and Public Prosecutor, before the matter proceeds to court. Where a claim and counter-claim are filed, they will be dealt with together.

You cannot be charged with sex outside marriage unless the public prosecution has filed such a case against you. This will be at the public prosecution’s discretion and will depend on all facts. This also applies if either party is married. It will be the public prosecution’s discretion as to whether either party is charged with adultery. If you became pregnant as a result of the alleged attack, it will have no bearing on your case.

Trial procedures

After a report is filed, you will be presented to the Public Prosecution to give your statement. The Public Prosecution will also take statements from the accused and any witnesses.

If the case is referred to court, you need to follow up on the status of your report through the Public Prosecution.

Public Prosecution will notify both parties when the case is referred to court through their registered addresses.

The trial will be in Arabic, and there should be an interpreter for any non-Arabic speaker. If you do not have a lawyer, you must attend all hearings in person. If you have appointed a lawyer, you must attend at least one hearing to give your statement.

If you’re not in Qatar and have been instructed to attend a hearing, you must make your own travel, accommodation and visa arrangements for Qatar.

Court trials can vary in duration due to the different circumstances of each case. A case will last longer if there is an appeal.

Hiring a lawyer

You should hire a lawyer who specialises in criminal law. The British embassy maintains a list of English speaking local lawyers.

Communication

You must appoint a lawyer to continue the case if you are planning to leave Qatar. During the investigations, you will need to give your lawyer your contact details including your place of residence.

If you do not appoint a lawyer, you can track progress on your case using the electronic court portal. You’ll need your case number. However, without a lawyer, you may have limited access to information on your case.

Legal aid

Both the victim and the accused can submit a request for legal aid to the Court of Appeal. Legal aid, if granted, will cover the case until its completion.

Sentencing

Sentences are weighted in favour of punishment, instead of rehabilitation.

If the perpetrator is found guilty, the charge will likely fall under ‘offences against morals’ or ‘crime against the person’.

Sentences will be determined in accordance with the Qatari Penal Code No. 11/2004 in Articles 279 to 289.

If the alleged perpetrator is found not guilty, they can file a case against you.

Compensation

You have the right to file a civil claim for provisional compensation during investigations or trial, and the court can award you temporary compensation.

You may claim compensation for material and moral damages. The court may refer the compensation claim to the civil court, which will decide on all the elements of compensation.

There is no state-funded compensation scheme to cover physical or psychological injuries suffered as a result of a sexual or violent crime.

When you return home 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:

Country	Where to get support
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.

Disclaimer: This information has been prepared by UK government 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 the UK Government 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 (2 February 2022).