The complaint is the same in many countries, that the courts are soft on crime.
We get some unfathomable sentences here in Dubai - draconian sentences for seemingly minor offences and a slap on the wrist for serious offences.
I read with disbelief that a drunken, speeding bus driver who killed a motorcyclist was given a one year sentence.
We have a zero policy for drinking and driving, he was way over the limit even in countries such as the UK and Australia, he was travelling at high speed on Beach Road. He slammed into an eighteen year old motorcyclist who was, correctly, stopped at a red traffic light.
The court decided his punishment should be one year.
After the sentence Salah Bu Farousha, Head of Dubai's Traffic Public Prosecution said that they wanted : "...tough and deterrent traffic court verdicts against errant drivers and especially those who drink and drive recklessly."
He added: "We constantly appeal primary verdicts which we deem as not deterrent enough."
I hope they appeal this sentence.
There was another story that caught my attention too, a sign of the changing times in Dubai.
In one of our much-publicised new developments, International City, police raided apartments that were operating as brothels. Fifty two of them apparently.
Fifty two?!
They should rename it Brothel City.
There's a predictable sequence when gang-run operations are set up and generate a lot of money. Another gang comes in demanding protection money or tries to muscle in on the operation.
I didn't think I'd see it in Dubai but here it is.
Asian gangs, mainly Vietnamese, who were involved in running brothels in the development...were also involved in inciting violent incidents among their competitors including, murdering an Indian man and seriously injuring another at the China cluster on Friday. Both men were among the competitors involved in the same illegal operations.
The incident on Friday involved more than 20 gang members who managed to break into a brothel at the China cluster demanding money profited from running the business.
Killer driver gets a year.
Brothel City.
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3 comments:
Organised gangs and the suchlike are everywhere in Dubai. It's just that they are generally kept away from the 'new dubai' parts so wealthier expats never see it.
What is a surprise is that it is happening in a heavily marketed 'development' but I understand the developer has pretty much given up on managing the place. Sold the buildings to landlords and washed their hands of maintainance etc.
First I.C., and soon to be followed by Discovery Gardens I'd say.
The dead motorcyclist was a family friend of mine.
I'm no fan of the 'eye for an eye' justice practiced out here but one year seems ridiculous, and the idea of 'blood money' untenable.
The bereaved family already have more cash than they could ever spend, but it's no good to them now.
The problem is that the judges here seem unable to do more than read the law and apply it - if practising law was that easy, all anybody would need would be a gavel and a search engine.
Marwan, I agree that an eye for an eye isn't a good system, but there has to be appropriate punishment for someone who through his own selfish, irresponsible behaviour kills, or injures, another person. As I said in the post, I hope that Public Prosecution appeal this sentence.
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