Qatar: Woman Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison and 100 Lashes for Reporting Sexual Abuse

Man from the Latin community in Qatar was the woman's aggressor

Paola Schietekat, 27, a native of Mexico, denounced that she was sexually abused while participating as an official in the Qatar 2022 World Cup, and was sentenced to 100 lashes and seven years in prison.

Until the middle of last year, the young woman worked as a behavioral economist, in charge of the development of public policies in the Supreme Committee for Delivery and Legacy, the company that organized the event.

The Mexican wanted to tell her case before the Qatari justice, hoping that the authorities would support her, but she got the opposite. When making the complaint, they informed him that he could not do anything and that he could only demand a restraining order or continue with the case, the latter option being the best.

For this reason, the young woman decided to continue with the complaint. The local police contacted her to appear at the police station.

At that time, her attacker was present and claimed that he had a relationship with the applicant. This fact is considered a crime in Qatar, for which it would lead to a punishment of seven years in prison and 100 lashes.

Paola explained that, after that, the complaint went into the background, it no longer mattered.

So the police referred the case directly to the public prosecutor's office, and that was the only place where he had a translator. All that was talked about was about the alleged extramarital relationship.

She added that, despite the fact that they claimed that they had a relationship, under her 'abaya', the tunic she used to show that she was a woman of good morals, she still had the blows received by her aggressor.

The solution offered by the authorities so that the sentence is not carried out is that she marry her aggressor.

Schietekat was received in Mexico by Marcelo Ebrard, the Mexican politician and internationalist. The young woman was able to travel thanks to the help received by the World Cup organizing committee.

On March 6, the hearing of the case will be held, in which the young woman will be in charge of seeking to prevent the conviction. The legal consultant of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will be Paola's legal representative.