Irish Prime Minister to intervene in Dubai woman’s detention

An Irish woman facing criminal charges in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), including attempted suicide and drinking alcohol, has had her passport destroyed.

It is understood that 28-year-old Tori Towey has been a flight attendant and lives in Dubai, the largest city in the United Arab Emirates.

A lawyer and human rights advocate who helped her said the 28-year-old was overwhelmed and exhausted but wanted to leave Dubai as soon as possible.

Radha Stirling, the director of the Dubai Detainees Organization, said she spoke to Ms. Toei on Wednesday morning and “things seem to be changing.”

“The Irish government is certainly taking action in record time and we don’t usually see them come together so quickly,” she said.

The lawyer also said that the Dubai Police Victim Support Department has now contacted Ms. Toi.

“I predict that through diplomatic efforts we can get her home even before the court next week, but of course we have to plan for things to go really bad and she could end up in jail,” she told the BBC news.

Ms Stirling previously said Ms Towe was accused of drinking alcohol and attempting to commit suicide, both of which she said were historically illegal in the UAE.

“The Irish government fully supports us in allowing UAE police to drop the charges against her,” she said.

Ms Tovey’s aunt Ann Flynn told Irish broadcaster RTÉ the family were “very, very anxious” but they were “just very hopeful”.

Ms Flynn said: “We had been hoping to hear from them on the plane on their way home. I wonder will this court case go ahead? What will happen if it does?”

Ms Flynn said she was in “daily contact with Ms Toye and her mother, several times a day”.

She described Ms Toye as a “beautiful young woman” who loved traveling and was “full of life and adventure”.

“It’s very, very hard to believe,” Ms Flynn said of the allegation of attempted suicide.

Ms Flynn described how Ms Toye and her mother Caroline “struggled to stay positive” like the rest of the family, “but it’s always in your mind and I’m sure it’s in theirs too”.

Taoiseach Simon Harris told RTÉ he had spoken to Ms Toye and her mother and said the “horrible situation” was “completely unacceptable”.

Mr Harris said getting her “home to Roscommon” was his “absolute priority”.

The case attracted international attention after Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald raised it in the House of Commons in the Irish parliament on Tuesday.

She said Ms Toi’s mother traveled to Dubai to be with her and she “wanted to go home”.

“She was a victim of the most serious form of domestic violence,” Ms McDonald said.

“Her passport has been destroyed. She is subject to a travel ban.”

Ms McDonald told the Dáil that the Irish government should “make it clear to the authorities in Dubai that no woman should be treated in this way” and that “Irish citizens, Irish women will not be treated in this way”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it was aware of the case and was providing consular assistance.

The BBC has contacted the UAE government for comment on the case.

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