The trial of a woman raped by police shakes Tunisia

The victim and his companion, appearing for "indecency." One way, according to their lawyer, to intimidate them to withdraw their complaint against the police who raped the young woman. Raped, she is not immune to prosecution. A 26 year old woman and her partner are heard today before the investigating judge for "outrage public decency." Yet they are at the origin of the complaint against three police officers, rape and extortion. Agents are in custody. The prosecutor opened an investigation against them, but also on the basis of the testimony of the alleged perpetrators themselves against the couple. "This is an intimidation to withdraw their complaint," their lawyer denounces Emna zahrouni. "At best, charge the victim [...] reflects the huge gaps in the law and criminal justice in Tunisia. At worst, it is a pernicious maneuver to discredit a rape victim, "Amnesty International condemns in a statement. The incident occurred on the night of 3 to 4 September. Three police patrol found the couple in a car parked on the sidelines. According to the story delivered by the victims, a police officer then takes the boy to a distributor for him to withdraw a pot of wine of 300 dinars (150 euros). Meanwhile, the young woman is raped in the back seat of the police car by two other officers. They deny rape and even speak of a relationship granted. The media coverage of the attack had already raised the hackles. It increased when the spokesman of the Ministry of Interior has seen fit to specify, at a press conference that the two youths had been found in an "immoral position" - that they challenge - while condemning the police. The announcement of the charges against the couple completed disgust opinion. This is the case partly politicized, some seeing it as a maneuver to power of the Islamist party, Ennahda, to cast aspersions on women and "legitimize rape," explained Mohamed Abdelhedi during a demonstration in support Saturday.