Irish Woman Detained for Attempting Suicide Allowed to Leave UAE

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Facts

  • Tori Towey, an Irish flight attendant who had been charged in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with attempting suicide and consuming alcohol, has had the charges dropped and her travel ban lifted.1
  • Legal aid group Detained in Dubai claims that Towey, employed by Emirates Airlines since April 2023, had attempted suicide after a 'brutal domestic violence' incident. The group says that this led to criminal charges against Towey and the confiscation of her passport.2
  • Dubai authorities say that the 'mutual charges of assault' stemmed from a May incident between Towey and her husband, saying that both parties withdrew their complaints against the other. The separate charges Towey was facing were dropped after 'considering the circumstances.'3
  • Deputy leader of the opposition Sinn Féin, Mary Lou McDonald, first raised the affair on Tuesday in the Irish parliament, with Taoiseach Simon Harris saying that he spoke to Towey before the travel ban was lifted.1
  • Towey's flight from Dubai landed in Dublin around noon local time on Thursday, with her family expressing relief at the outcome of the case. Detained in Dubai says that her case was set for a hearing next week.4

Sources: 1BBC News (a), 2CBS, 3The Irish Times and 4BBC News (b).

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by Detained in Dubai. The treatment that Towey faced was inhumane and is a sad reflection of the status of women in the UAE and elsewhere in the region. She suffered a brutal attack, and sadly women in Dubai are often the victim of bad-faith legal arguments that are red herrings to their cases. The state of women's rights in the UAE and Gulf region is a major human rights issue.
  • Narrative B, as provided by The National. The UAE is happy that this case was resolved, which did not take long after the full circumstances came to light. While prejudice against the Arab world often centers around the treatment of women, it should be noted that the region has made strides towards gender equality. Ireland and other nations have no right to criticize another country making progress at a pace that aligns with good governance.

Predictions