Human rights group praises fast action by Government to free Tori Towey

The Irish Embassy in the UAE, based in Abu Dhabi, was instrumental in ensuring Tori Towey could be released and returned home. Picture: Detained in Dubai

Irishwoman Tori Towey was detained in Dubai after she was charged with attempting to take her own life in what has been described as a desperate bid to escape alleged domestic violence.

Ms Towey, 28, faced criminal charges in Dubai of “attempted suicide” and alcohol consumption.

She had been hospitalised with extensive injuries after an alleged assault in her home.

But a travel ban had been placed on her passport, trapping her in the country and leaving her unable to escape from her alleged abuser.

Her plight was raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald on Tuesday, sparking national outrage that an Irish citizen could be treated this way.

“Her passport has been destroyed. There was a travel ban imposed on her, and she had gone to the authorities seeking protection many times but to absolutely no avail,” Ms McDonald said on Tuesday.

“But following one particularly severe beating in which her husband repeatedly tried to slam doors on her arms and break her limbs, she escaped upstairs and she attempted to take her own life."

She lost consciousness and when she woke up she was surrounded by paramedics. Police then charged her with attempted suicide.

Tori Towey had been hospitalised with extensive injuries after an alleged assault in her home. Picture: Detained in Dubai

“The system over there, rather than protecting this woman, who is an Irish citizen, chose instead to detain her, to charge her," Ms McDonald said.

She called for the State to urgently intervene and for it to be "made absolutely plain to the authorities of Dubai that no woman should be treated in this way. And an Irish citizen, an Irish woman, will not be treated in this way.” 

Following significant diplomatic efforts, the travel ban was lifted from Ms Towey’s passport and the charges against her were dropped on Wednesday.

Ms Towey and her mother are expected to board a flight home within 24 hours.

Ireland’s diplomatic efforts, engaging with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on trying to broker peace in Gaza and on the wider Palestine issue, helped smooth diplomatic channels to ensure that Ms Towey’s travel ban was lifted quickly and the charges against her were dropped, it is understood.

Her case has been described as complex legally by a source close to it.

The Irish Embassy in the UAE, based in Abu Dhabi, was instrumental in ensuring Ms Towey could be released and returned home.

On Tuesday night, it looked "very positive" that she would be freed and that decision was rubber stamped on Wednesday, it is understood.

Diplomatic efforts had been “well underway” before her case was raised in the Dáil on Tuesday, a source said.

The main contacts in the UAE that Ireland engaged with on Ms Towey’s case were the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Dubai police, and the Diplomatic Affairs department, it is understood.

Ms Towey moved to the UAE last year to work as an airline attendant.

Tori Towey moved to the UAE last year to work as an airline attendant.

She married a man in March but, according to Roscommon TD Claire Kerrane, she soon began being mentally and physically abused.

Although Ms Towey went to the police and reported abuse, she was told to go home to her husband, Ms Kerrane said.

“He ripped up her passport, so she couldn’t work as an airline attendant, then she had no money, so she couldn’t come home.” 

A travel ban was also placed on her passport so she could not escape.

During one allegedly brutal attack in her home, it’s understood she escaped into the bathroom and tried to take her own life in a bid to escape her alleged abuser, fearing he would torture her to death.

“The next thing she knew, paramedics were there,” Ms Kerrane said.

“Then she was arrested on June 28 and had no idea what she had been arrested for.” 

“It’s a living nightmare. She was put in a cell with 50 women, there was no information, she wasn’t told why she had been arrested, what she was being charged with. Then there’s the language barrier too. It’s just horrendous."

A court date had been set for July 18. Legal fees are very expensive in the UAE and the Toweys were quoted €5,000 for one initial consultation with a lawyer.

Dubai is the largest city in the UAE. The region has a poor record for human rights.

But the region has provided a haven for organised crime, with many criminals flocking there to evade authorities and taxes in other jurisdictions.

Attempted suicide has not been frequently prosecuted as a crime in the UAE.

And in 2020, legal changes were introduced to officially decriminalise suicide and attempted suicide.

Alcohol consumption is no longer illegal either in the UAE. 

Before 2020, it was a criminal offence to consume alcohol without a licence.

Tori Towey faced criminal charges in Dubai of 'attempted suicide' and alcohol consumption. Picture: Detained in Dubai

Radha Stirling, CEO of human rights group Detained in Dubai, who has been helping Ms Towey, said that she has had clients in the past who were jailed for more than one year on a similar charge to Ms Towey.

“It’s amazing that authorities did not intervene for Tori’s protection, given the state her body was in when she was hospitalised the first time," Ms Stirling said.

“Worse than failing her, authorities in Dubai actually travel-banned her and kept her in the country when she was trying to get away."

But Ms Stirling praised the Irish Government for the speed with which it responded to Ms Towey’s case.

“When a government gets behind their citizens, when they go the extra mile, they are successful in getting citizens home,” Ms Stirling told Newstalk.

The situation was “absurd” that a woman who had been assaulted would be further abused by the system. 

“We have seen over the years, we've seen rape victims charged with sex outside marriage. 

"We've seen this kind of culture coming from the UAE before.

They had made an effort for public relations purposes, they were starting to take women's rights a bit more seriously, victim rights. 

"But it seems like nothing has changed. 

"And this is truly astonishing that someone who's been beaten to the degree that she has bruises all over her body, and now she's being abused by the system itself again. 

"So I find it outrageous. 

"And I can see that's why there's so much support out there from Irish citizens, from politicians, from your leaders in your Government. 

"So it's amazing to see people really standing behind her and wanting her home as soon as possible.

“She is exhausted and she's finding it very overwhelming. 

"But at the same time, we're really, really warmed by all of the support that she's been getting. 

"I don't think she expected all of that. I don't think she expected the Irish Government to motivate themselves as quickly. 

"And this is the fastest I've ever seen this happen from a government. So I'm super impressed by Ireland's response.

“We've dealt with many human rights issues like this, and when the government gets behind the citizen and talks to their counterparts, the Foreign Affairs Ministry in the UAE escalates it even to the ruler, Sheikh Mohammed, or the head of the police department and the justice system. 

"When they do that and they go the extra mile rather than just deferring it and pretending they can't do anything, when they actually make the effort, they are successful in getting the citizens home.

She is very, very much looking forward to coming home and recovering from what's been an extremely terrible, shocking year for her, in fact. 

"So I think she needs to heal. She needs to be around friends and family and the safety of her country.”

Anne Flynn, aunt of Ms Towey said that her niece was a beautiful young woman who was full of life and full of adventure who loved to travel.

What happened to her on those travels was “terrible” she said.