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[introducinlyric]

article from Daily Telegraph

A 30-year-old businesswoman is facing up to six years in a Dubai jail for breaching the country's strict ban on unmarried - and public - sex.

British publishing firm manager Michelle Palmer breached the strict ban during a boozy beach romp after she was caught canoodling in public with a holiday hunk.

The Sun reports that Authorities – under growing pressure to curb the excesses of westerners who flock to the Muslim emirate – say she will also be deported from the country where she has lived and worked for three years.

Palmer was arrested when an officer saw her having sex on Jumeirah Beach. It is believed she was put in a cell.

She had earlier got drunk during a champagne brunch which turned into an all-day binge.

Michelle, 30, is alleged to have called the cop a f****** Muslim **** and tried to hit him with her high-heeled shoe before being restrained.

Sex outside marriage is considered an offence in Dubai – one of the seven states which make up the United Arab Emirates.

Michelle was later charged with that, plus indecent behaviour in public, being drunk in public, and assaulting a police officer.

Authorities have warned her she faces between three months and six years in jail in the Arab state.

[ScottWoz]

Good. And good riddance (if it's true..)

[kjonline]

Boy will she be embarrassed when that ends up on YouTube.

[starlagurl]

I enjoyed the part about the high heeled shoe. But seriously, jailtime, Scott? Really, you agree with that?

[starlagurl]

Also! What I wanna know, is what happened to the dude she was doing it with? Did he get off scott free?

[kitkatgo]

Also! What I wanna know, is what happened to the dude she was doing it with? Did he get off scott free?

Yeah, really, I'd like to hear about his part in all this. Are the consequences the same for him? Is he a Westerner too? Do the laws apply the same to him?

(I don't mind her getting some punishment, if she's lived there for 3 yrs, she knows the laws, and she was clearly out of control...but it would tick me off if SHE is the only one with consequences!)

[starlagurl]

Yeah but, jailtime!? That's a little crazy...

[kitkatgo]

Well, by Western standards, yes, it is crazy. But that is not a Western society with Western ideals or Western laws.

And actually, if you take the sex part out of it, she might get similar punishment here. It's only the sex part that is different.

[starlagurl]

She wouldn't get six years in jail for hitting a police officer!

[kitkatgo]

No, probably not...I think that's with the sex part of it. But I think she could get at the very least a year for the other offenses here. Assaulting a police officer is not a small offense even if it is with a shoe. She would also have resisting arrest tacked on which is also no small offense.

[starlagurl]

Yeah maybe a year...

[Paul]

Good. And good riddance (if it's true..)

Ha ha - Woz - you have covered my thoughts on this. No need to comment further.

[starlagurl]

You guys are merciless! I honestly don't think she deserves jailtime...come on...

[inasia2008]

It really is how they are in the UAE, my friend got jailed when she was 11 weeks pregnant when someone falsely accused her of stealing her credit card, for a week!!!! Without even being given a chance of sticking up for herself.
There really are strict laws about public sex, drinking and swearing and violence, especially to the police, its the way it is!
She's lucky she wasn't doing this a hundred years ago she would have probably been stoned or lost her hand!

[ScottWoz]

Yes. She is very lucky it's 2008..

I enjoyed the part about the high heeled shoe. But seriously, jailtime, Scott? Really, you agree with that?

You guys are merciless! I honestly don't think she deserves jailtime...come on...

Louise, please tell me you're not judging this on Western standards..

[raniroo]

This is a very true story. The woman involved has worked in the UAE for 3 years. She has lost her job and everything. Once a sentence is handed down and done her time whe will face deportation.

Sex is illegal in the UAE if you are not married and of course very illegal doing it publically! She has made suggestions that the courts are going to make an example of her behaviour and she does face up to six years in gaol...but something that has not been mentioned here is that the policeman actually gave the couple a warning! The policman returned a short time later to find them still at it. I believe if they were really going to make an example of her they would have arrested her with no warning...there has been no mention of the man's story, although he is facing charges too.

It has also been reported that the couple got married once they made bail to try and lessen the sentence.

We were only talking about this on Friday because we were brunching at the same restaurant where this occurred a week ago!

[inasia2008]

Well is she was pre-warned (even though she obviously knew better having lived there for 3 years) then she deserves to be punished, and if the law in the country says jail, then jail it is.
Do you know if they were actually dating prior to the incident, I just wondered as you said they got married, did they do this just to reduce their impending punishment do you know?
I was working for a company in Bahrain for a little bit and it turns out this British guy who worked for them previously (and funnily enough I had met him way before this incident along with his wife and daughter) and he embezzled a load f money from the company and fled to Dubai with it, he was oon caught and I assume still in prison there and will be chucked out back to the UK after his sentence, which I assume is a lot longer than 6 years!

[starlagurl]

You know what, seriously...usually I'm against colonialism and all that stuff... but in this case, I'm really really in favour of pushing Western standards onto other countries, I don't care what religion they are, or what area of the world they happen to be situated. People doing what people do (ie. making babies) should never be punished with jail.

[raniroo]

You know what, seriously...usually I'm against colonialism and all that stuff... but in this case, I'm really really in favour of pushing Western standards onto other countries, I don't care what religion they are, or what area of the world they happen to be situated. People doing what people do (ie. making babies) should never be punished with jail.

I definately don't think they were making babies!!!! just going hard at it, as they had just met! Apparently they met through a friend.

[starlagurl]

Well yeah, but that's what people do...it's like, one of the few things all of us have in common...so you CAN'T outlaw it.