UAE gang bang

The decision on this remarkable case has been rendered and while the verdicts do appear rather lenient to say the least I think the case is extraordinary for what it has brought to light. I visited Dubai twice last year and both times I was taken aback by the rather bold sexual 'solicitation' occurring on streets, in the airport, restaurants, hotel lobbies towards men and women... ! Its not that I have a problem with it at all but it is unusual considering the avowed and contradictory prohibitions on 'deviant' sexual behavior within both private and public spheres oddly I found non-responsiveness (for fear of potential consequences) yielded more predatory, aggressive behavior ranging from unseemly crouch grabbing to more physically threatening hand gestures, spitting, even lunging, etc. Im guessing I was skirting the chasm of protection between western visitor and mid-level migrant white-collar worker. (Gay) friends living there told me of many examples of sexual and physical assaults taking place quite publicly amidst an atmosphere of invisibility, powerlessness and accusatory sexual repression in which the state apparatus turns a blind (or in some cases) cruelly vengeful eye towards non-native (south and south-east Asian) migrant victims of all socioeconomic stripes. This case is unique in that the( white European) victim (and his well-connected mother) was rather empowered to speak up and resist the state's repeated attempts to silence him. Even so he was forced to leave the country for fear a potential state action to prosecute him for being gang-raped (ie., forced homosexuality)! Its an interesting counterpoint to a similar case involving a female Saudi teenager and her male partner who were prosecuted after being gang-raped in Saudi but I haven't been following this one that closely.