Sept. 01, 2006 - 20:21 MDT

HIS EXCUSE

This has been a subject in our local papers for quite some time. An article in this mornings paper by ?Felix? Doligosa Jr. of the Rocky Mountain News with the Associated Press contributing gives us the apparent end of the case -- barring the inevitable appeals ad infinitum. Quoted here in full:

SAUDI GETS LONG SENTENCE

Man was convicted of sexual assaults on housekeeper

CENTENNIAL (CO) - - - "Sniffles and sobs resonated in a packed courtroom Thursday as a Saudi man convicted of sexually assaulting his Indonesian housekeeper was sentenced to 20 years to life in prison."

"Homaidan Al-Turki, 37, was also ordered to serve eight additional years for theft charges."

"He denied in Arapahoe County District Court that he enslaved the woman and said authorities targeted him because of his religion."

"Your honor, I am not here to apologize for things I did not do and for crimes I did not commit," he told Judge Mark Hannen. "The state has criminalized these basic Muslim behaviors. Attacking traditional Muslim behaviors was the focal point of the prosecution," he said."

"Prosecutor Natalie Decker said the trial had nothing to do with Al-Turki's MUslim beliefs."

"It has to do with what he did to her for five years," she said outside the courtroom."

"Al-Turki was convicted this summer of 12 felony counts of unlawful sexual contact with use of force, one felony count of criminal extortion and one felony count of theft. He also was found guilty of two misdemeanors; false imprisonment and conspiracy to commit false imprisonment."

"The case has captured the attention of the Muslim community worldwide. The Saudi government gave Al-Turki the money he needed to post a $400,000 bond on the charges in Arapahoe County."

"Prosecutors said Al-Turki brought the victim, who is now 24, from Saudi Arabia in 2000 to work as his family's nanny and housekeeper in their Aurora home. Al-Turki is married and has five children."

"The victim testified in court that she worked seven days a week and was paid $150 a month. She said Al-Turki and his wife kept most of the money. Al-Turki also allegedly took the woman's passport and sexually abused her."

"The Rocky Mountain News is withholding the nanny's name because she is a sexual assault victim. She now lives in Aurora."

"This is a clear-cut example of human trafficking," Decker said. "It's important he is put in prison."

++++++++++

In a way it goes to show that women world-wide are sitting ducks for being abused, at least that is the way I see it.

Of course I am as ignorant of the actual facts of the case as the next person, but it seems to me on reading what the media has had to say, that the preponderance of evidence goes against Al-Turki. And also, the term of sentence seems to me to be just. Waiting to see if appeals are filed.

Heh, "traditional Muslim behaviors," if those are good Muslim behaviors, I am glad he is on his way to do hard time. Thumbs down on HIS EXCUSE . . . . . . . . . . .

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