This case caused an international sensation: 28-year-old World Cup employee Paola Schietekat reported a rape to the authorities in the Islamic Gulf state of Qatar. She said she was surprised, injured and raped by a man at home. When the authorities questioned the alleged perpetrator, he said he was in a relationship with the Mexican woman. The tables then turned: the authorities began to investigate Schietekat because she admitted to having had sex with the perpetrator several times in the past. For this fornication, the self-confessed feminist faced 100 lashes and seven years in prison in the strictly Islamic-governed Gulf state.
The victim’s lawyer advised her on the simplest solution: she should simply marry her tormentor, then the offense of extramarital sex would be dropped. However, the young woman vehemently refused. The woman could only be taken out of the country with the help of the World Cup committee. As the Mexican and Spanish media have now reported, the court in Qatar is said to have dropped the charges against Schietekat. The employee of the World Cup organizing committee is now back in Mexico.
