Dubai Beach Sex Pair Seek Quickie Trial

British Couple Charged With Having Sex Outside Of Marriage; Face Up To Two Years In Prison

(AP)  A British couple on trial for allegedly having sex on a Dubai beach asked the judge on Tuesday to be allowed to leave the country.

Michelle Palmer and Vince Acors, speaking in low voices, asked the judge for a "quick ruling" that would let them return to Britain. But judge Hamad Abdul Jawad disregarded the request and scheduled another hearing for Sept. 9 to hear testimony from the policeman who arrested the couple.

Palmer, 36, and Acors, 34, were arrested in the early hours July 5 on a Dubai beach after they had been at a hotel party. They were later charged with having sex outside of marriage, public indecency and public drunkenness.

The case has highlighted the strong contrasts in the booming United Arab Emirates, particularly Dubai. The city has a much more freewheeling attitude than other places in the Gulf, with cash flowing from oil and finance and a huge expatriate population. But the case is a reminder that it remains a conservative Arab nation underneath.

Legal experts say the couple could face up to two years in prison if convicted. The case raised a media storm here, and partway through Tuesday's session the judge ordered journalists out of the courtroom.

"I hope they will not get any penalty, God willing," the couple's Dubai-based lawyer, Hassan Matter, told The Associated Press after the session.

He said medical examinations of Palmer after the arrest "prove she did not have sex," though he did not elaborate. He also dismissed one witness who told the court he saw the couple having sex, saying the witness was far away and it was nighttime.

Palmer, a former employee of a Dubai-based publishing firm, told the court during an August session that she and Acors, a tourist visiting Dubai, were "hugging and kissing" but did not have sex.

Public display of affection, such as touching, kissing or hugging, is illegal in Dubai and couples - particularly if not married - can be detained by police for indecency.

In July, a few days after the British couple was detained, Dubai police announced it has arrested 79 people, mostly tourists, for topless sunbathing, nudity and other acts authorities deemed indecent.

[keithle1]

Fornicate with your w h o r e in the privacy of your soundproof luxury hotel suite, if you please. Do whatever you want to her. We don''t care. If she has difficulty walking after you''re through, all the better.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY

[avigil2]

"Public display of affection, such as touching, kissing or hugging, is illegal in Dubai and couples - particularly if not married - can be detained by police for indecency."

Dubai really needs to come to grips with today''s social reality. This is totally ludicrous.

[crescentgirl]

goo8fraba2, your comments: "Where would "religious rights" stop? Would it, next, be an outrage to not be allowed to wear a burka? At some point it has to stop. If you don''''t like western ways, move!"

I think your comments show your ignorance and hate for a religion that you simply do not understand. Yes, I do think it is an outrage to not let a woman wear a burka if she CHOOSES to do so. Just like in Christianity, you find people of varying degrees of religiousity and faith...you find the same thing in Islam. Some women, for example that wear burkas may have more conservative views than someone who simply wears a headscarf (hijab). I don''t think that it is your right to judge another human being based on what she choses to wear (or not wear for that matter.) I personally wear a hijab (headscarf) and am proud of that fact and yes I am an American as well, born and bred. I, as an American have a duty to voice my opinion and live my life as i see fit. America was established based on ideas that differed from the "norm." Could you imagine if George Washington had said, you know what...I think the British are right...we should be ruled by them. So, you see my friend,I have as much a right to be here and voice my opinion (that may not always agree with the majority) as you do. If you have a problem with it, please by all means continue with your belly aching...

[tomster1960]

I have been there on military travel and don''t see why anyone would pay to go there. There are a lot better places to go this planet than UAE or anywhere else in the middle east. Don''t waste your money there!

[ajaxtheleast]

They do seem to be in a hurry to do something.

So I gotta believe that the judge will

do whatever he has to do to get them out of

the court room quick like.

[nishaboston]

BS57 I understand what your saying. I myself lives with a partner and I am not married adn we have *** all the time. If feel this is my private life and no ones business, however some countries have laws and so do we. So if it is the law over there that you cannot have *** in public and not being married then that is their laws simple as that. You cannot make excuses for these people. I suggest anyone who visit some of these countries especially countries not in the west visit their with caution.

[whiskyrokr]

Why go there in the first place?

[bs57-2009]

nishaboston,
Ok so we should respect those countries, got it. I respect heritage and other cultures. It''s hard for me to respect governments that oppress people. I do agree with you that the people were stupid and should abide by the laws of the government. I''m not saying every country should act like the US because god knows that the US has some oppressive, stupid laws. I do, however, believe in freedom and if a consenting couple wants to have *** outside marriage then let them. I''m outraged by the lack of human rights displayed by this country, aren''t you?

[whiskyrokr]

Why would anyone spend any of there time in the $hithole Dubai? They know the people are totally nuts.

[nishaboston]

BS57 it does not matter what I am. My pointi s respect other countries laws especially if your going to a muslim country. Also I never said it had the same exact laws but we do have public nudity etc. laws. And just because it was made to protect kids does not matter. You cannot go to a park or beach in the USA and have *** that is against the law period. No we do not send people to jail or hanging for it but we do have those laws.

[bs57-2009]

nishaboston,
No the USA does not exactly have the same laws. Yes, you can''t have *** in public and it is punishable by fine or imprisonment but 99% of the time a couple gets off with probation and a small fine. The public indecency laws were created mainly to protect children and to prosecute perverts. However, most (if not all) US judges will not send a couple to jail for having *** outside.
Second, the US (and most industrialized countries) does not have any laws prohibiting *** outside marriage. This couple could have had *** in the privacy of their hotel room and still be charged with a crime. In fact they can''t even kiss in public. I think it is outrageous to have any government oppress its people like that. I do agree it was stupid for the couple to do this without knowing the laws of the country. However, stupidity does not mean that someone should be thrown in jail. When you throw someone in jail you are taking away one of their most fundamental right as a human being, freedom. There were no victims so it''s hard for me to see the justice in this. I do know that the US has some stupid laws against sodomy and oral ***, but I have never heard of consenting adults be prosecuted for those crimes. I do believe the laws should be changed here as well, but that''s me.

P.S. Out of curiousity, are you liberal or conservative?

[credibility2]

What this couple did was violate the laws of public decency, which is fairly standard with most countries. Tagging on the infraction of doing it out of marriage may seem odd, but many nations have or had laws involving these types of things. The couple was stupid and moronic to especially do their antics in a nation where they had to have known what its basic observed laws and practices were. They obviously lack any self-control and intelligence and should be punished because of their gross stupidity.

[nishaboston]

goosfraba2- There are over 1 Billion muslims in this world and I don''t have enough hate and ignorance in my soul to believe they are all Barbaric. You have bad people from all walks of life. Get a clue and have a nice day.

[goosfraba2]

Posted by nishaboston at 06:55 AM : Sep 03, 2008: "... I am sick of westerners going to another country breaking there laws even if it seems stupid to us. ..."

I concur, nishaboston. But, Muslims are still barbarians suited for the 6th century, only.

[nishaboston]

CarlyLaine good point. Don''t go over to another country doing something you have no business doing and before you visit that country research their laws. I am sick of westerners going to another country breaking there laws even if it seems stupid to us. Just like the Swiss guy who trashed the Thai King and got 10 years for it. That is a law in the country not to do this therefore he broke the law.
Don''t be outraged and shocked having *** in public is a crime because its even a crime in your TOWN!!!

[carlylaine]

Yes, in the United States you can''t have *** in public...the trick is not to get caught. It''s crazy that anyone would want to go to DUBAI or any Arab country, have *** in public and be surprised at the outcome. They''d be fined maybe, but not put in jail for 2-3 years.

Haven''t you guys seen what they do to their own women? They F****NG kill them if it''s even thought the women might be human...because these men who do this are dogs and nothing more.

So don''t go to DUBAI for ***. EVER! These muslims are nuts.

[nishaboston]

The offense is variously titled "indecent exposure", "sexual misconduct", "public lewdness", or "public indecency". It is a criminal offense in all fifty states and is punishable by fines and/or imprisonment, and in some states a conviction results in having to register as a *** offender.

So whats the problem people? If your so outraged about the same laws in the middle east then perhaps you should be outraged at the same laws in America.

[nishaboston]

And you people are outraged about this but did you know in the USA there are laws against public nudity and having *** in public places. Do a little more research before you trash other countries for having the same laws the USA have.

[nishaboston]

When you visit another country you need to respect their cultures and their laws. It does not matter if it is not a big deal in the western part of the world. If a foreigner came to your country breaking the laws you would react the same way..

[caliengineer]

The earth is about 6000 years old. How old are the oldest things? Reefs, deserts, plants... all 6000 yo or less.

The Quran DOES claim the earth is flat.