Woman who reported rape retracts statement

The 18-year-old Emirati woman charged with consensual sex after reporting that she was raped by six men retracted all her original statements in court today. The woman, LH, went the police after the incident on May 2 and said she had been raped. According to court documents, she was tested by the court's forensic unit and the six men were charged with rape. Today she told the judge that the men did not rape her, nor did she have sex with any of them. The charges against the men stand, prosecutors say. They have all denied the allegations. If LH is convicted of consensual sex, she faces a sentence of lashes and a maximum prison term of life. If she is convicted of lying under oath, she faces a maximum prison term of two years. Justice Saeed Abdul Baseer of the Abu Dhabi Criminal Court adjourned the hearing for June 7. myoussef@thenational.ae hhassan@thenational.ae