TUNIS, Tunisia, Oct. 2 (UPI) -- Tunisians protested the treatment of a woman who alleged she was raped by policemen then charged with public indecency when she complained, activists said.
Hassiba Hadj Sahraoui, deputy Middle East and North Africa program director for Amnesty International, said the events point to the "deep flaws" of Tunisian law and its justice system, CNN reported.
"At best, charging the victim of a rape by police officers instead of protecting her from intimidation and stigma highlights the deep flaws on Tunisian law and criminal justice system," Sahraoui said. "At worst, it is an insidious attempt to discredit a rape victim and protect those she accused of raping her."
The case began Sept. 3 when three police officers approached the woman and her fiance as they were driving their car in Tunis, the woman's lawyer told Amnesty International. The woman alleged two officers raped her inside the car while the third took her boyfriend to a cash machine to extort money.
Related
After she filed a complaint against the officers, who were charged with rape and extortion, the officers said they found the couple in an "immoral position" in the car, CNN said.
They was charged with "intentional indecent behavior," punishable by up to six months in prison. The two denied the charge.
Tuesday's court session was the second of several expected hearings, CNN said.
The decision to charge the woman angered human rights groups such as the Tunisian League of Human Rights and the Tunisian Association of Democratic Women, who called for protests outside the Tunis courthouse.
"We fear that the treatment afforded to the young woman will deter other victims of sexual abuse from coming forward as they may fear being treated as the accused rather than the victim," Sahraoui said.
