A woman who was raped faced one hundred lashes and seven years in jail after reporting the crime to the police.

28-year-old Paola Schietekat is a World Cup official from Mexico who says she was sexually assaulted by a man whom she thought was her friend while organizing the games committee in Qatar back in June 2021.

According to her report, the unnamed man broke into her apartment before pinning her to the floor and assaulting her.

After the ordeal, Paola stayed the night at a hotel in fear that her assailant could return. On the following morning, she secured a medical certificate and reported the crime to the police with the help of the Mexican consul.

While the 28-year-old managed to press charges against her attacker, she was called back to the police station in Doha just hours after her report only to be questioned once more in front of her accuser.

After the man insisted that he didn’t rape her and that they were actually in a relationship, the officers asked to inspect Paola’s phone for signs of recent intimacy.

They also asked the young woman to undergo a virginity test before accusing her of having an extramarital affair.

While the attacker was cleared of all charges due to alleged lack of evidence, the public prosecutor’s office brought charges against Paola.

As her lawyers had told her, the only way to avoid these charges was to marry her attacker.

Fortunately, the World Cup official decided to flee the country in time to avoid 100 lashes and up to seven years in prison or forced marriage.

“I had never breathed with more relief than when my passport was stamped. In Mexico the adrenaline stopped and a slower process began, although just as complex and painful,” Paola said.

Speaking to El Pais, she added: “The heart of the matter isn’t what we can or cannot do on the Qatari laws, as Qatar is a sovereign state. We won’t be able to change it, but the valences of Mexican institutions is something that can get better and that we can demand it as a society.

“Without a firm stance on the part of the international community, draconian, retrograde and even absurd laws will find a little hole to continue justifying themselves, in the shadow of major sporting or cultural events.”

As the charges against Paola are still valid in Qatar, she is set to be sentenced in March despite her absence.

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