In Qatar, if a female football fan is raped, she may be flogged or jailed during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
The safety of female football fans appears to be seriously jeopardised if they are sexually assaulted while attending the FIFA World Cup in Qatar in 2022. The strict Islamic legislation in the Arab nation forbids any sexual activity between unmarried couples, and even rape victims are brought before the court and given sentences ranging from seven years in prison to public flogging.
May Romanos, an expert from Amnesty International, reportedly stated, “You go to the police, and instead of being the victim, you become the accused,” according to The Sun.
While Radha Stirling of The Detained continued, “The UAE has a long history of penalising rape victims.”
In Qatar, LGBTQ+ groups are also in danger, according to Lou Englefield of Football v Homophobia, who stated, “There are currently no organised groups or individual supporters of the LGBTIQ community in Europe who plan to attend this World Cup. The Supreme Committee’s position is simply inconsistent with the promises they were supposed to have made to Fifa. Why wouldn’t an international athletic event that anticipates millions of visitors be willing to reassure a sizable minority group that they will be safe and welcomed? This is unlike anything we have ever seen.”
Former Chief Social Responsibility and Education Officer of FIFA Joyce Cook also wrote to the Human Rights Sports Coalition, saying, “Based on our engagement with the relevant Qatari authorities, and following existing government guarantees, and the event-specific legislation, as well as our experience of hosting other events in Qatar,
Fifa is confident that persons identifying as LGBTIQ+ will not face any consequences based on the above-mentioned legal provisions.
In the past, during competitions, sexual assaults have occurred in football stadiums. When the semifinals and finals were played at Wembley Stadium during Euro 2020, there were 72 sex attacks registered in Brent, North London.
