Bahrain: Defence Lawyer Dismisses Rape As “Harmless Fun”

A court case involving the alleged abduction and gang rape of a woman has caught the attention of some of Bahrain's bloggers, because of the act was dismissed as harmless fun by the female defence lawyer.

The lawyer, Fatima Al Hawaj, said that the three young men accused of the abduction and attack of a Filipina should be acquitted, because young people often commit crimes for “fun”, without criminal intent. Coolred, an American living in Bahrain, is appalled:

I'm wondering if that defense attorney, Fatima alHawaj, would be willing to subject herself to a gang rape and come out of it with the philosophy…”it was all a bit of harmless fun”? And I wonder if she would have said that if the victim had been a fellow Bahraini and not just a low class Filipino that are usually classed as “sexually available” to the Arabs they work for and among?

I also took note of the fact that the “youths” in question were 19, 20, 21…I'm curious as to why MEN of this age are always described as youths in the paper here whenever they commit such heinous crimes? […] Final note…with women defending men like this…women lawyers at that…with the phrase “harmless fun” the perpetuation of the belief that “boys will be boys” will never be cast aside and the action they undertook viewed exactly for what it is…a crime against a woman that has no doubt changed her life and will never be forgotten…but I dare say…if she hadnt been able to identify those 3 “boys” they would have tossed the memory of their night of harmless fun behind them and gotten a good nights sleep in the process.

Maldita, a Filipina based in Bahrain, who blogs at Saving The World Together, is also incensed:

How can gang-raping and robbing a defenseless woman be considered as “HARMLESS FUN”? Fine, they MAY have done it for the lack of better things to do in their free time and they do not have any small intent at all to commit a crime. BUT THAT IS NOT AN EXCUSE to go about grabbing women off the streets to add spice to their lives!

True, young people often do crazy things for fun – a lot try their hand on shoplifting, some engage in road rages, others turn to drugs. The norm is young people try to commit minor misdemeanor that would usually end up with a stern reprimand from their guardians or inflict harm only among themselves. It is the misguided ones who goes for major stuff like this. Stuff that forcefully involves people who are innocently going on with their own lives. […] If these teenagers really did what they are accused of, how sad that a woman's life is now scarred for life with this horror…and yet there is the possibility that her assailants will walk free and not suffer the consequences of their actions.

Don't get me started with screaming racism.

8 comments

  • Saddened, a Brit in Bahrain

    This will surely frighten away tourists that Bahrain is now trying to attract. Well done, Bahrain!
    It is inexcusable to condemn this woman to further torture by trivializing such an odious crime, for that is what is, a crime in any civilized society. It is enough that she is already psychologically and, dare I say, physically scarred for the rest of her life.
    I pray the same fate never befalls any daughters this lawyer may have.
    Furthermore, these “youths” will, no doubt, go on to perpetrate further heinous crimes, possibly murder, if they are not stopped early enough.

  • Ibn Verga

    As a man I find it sick! The arrogance of that lawyer! This only comes from contempt for other nationality people. This is the Arab racism I am fighting against in other blogs. I am really feel sick, I had been thought since I had been a toddler, you don’t hurt women. I used to run home crying, when girl hit me at the playground, but I never would hit her back.

  • Nauseating…

    If only Bahrain were alone in its treatment of women.

    ~ Maya

    (GVO, Israel)

  • Shabeer

    It is sad that defence makes such statements.

    The Prophet SAW (Peace be upon him) was against any form Human Dignity.

    In an Islamic Court if found gulity the accused would be beheaded.

  • bharath

    I am speechless with anger ! I dont know where to start. Is that lawyer having any sense of decency or justice or a conscience at all? What kind of sick people are the citizens of Bahrain? If this is the thinking and attitudes of so called educated people, that too a female, I shudder to think of how the uneducated people of Bahrain behave and think ! If a woman of Bahrain has such a callous attitude towards the sufferings inflicted on another woman, what attitudes the men must have. SHAME ON BAHRAIN AND IT’S CITIZENS WHO SILENTLY WITNESS SUCH CRIMES AGAINST WOMEN

  • V.K.Gupta

    I am surprisied that a women lowyer can make comments like that. She has no idea, what she is talking about. She does not understands, what does rape mean and how it can ruin life of girl.

    I am sure that She is making such statement to protect the culprits for money. it is shame on her that is women.

  • V.K.Gupta

    A new definition of Rape.

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