Who is Tori Towey? Irish woman charged for attempted suicide by UAE, now freed
Irish woman Tori Towey is in "the most appalling circumstances" in the United Arab Emirates, the Dáil heard
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) police on Wednesday (Jul 10) withdrew charges against Irish national Tori Towey, a 28-year-old flight attendant based in Dubai. Thewoman fromRoscommonwas detained under charges of attempted suicide and consuming alcohol. Following her detention in the UAE, she was barred from leaving the nation.
Irish Premier Simon Harris earlier informed the parliament about the development. "I’ve just been informed that the travel ban has been lifted, that the embassy will take Tori to the airport as soon as she is ready to go and that the embassy of course will continue to follow up on the case, which is still active as of now,” he said.
Earlier, the leader of the main opposition party in Ireland had raised the issue of Towey's detention in the parliament for the second day in a row.
The premier said now that Towey was free to walk out of the UAE, she would be brought back home as soon as possible.
“We want Tori Towey back in this country, we want her back home in Roscommon,” said Harris.
“No effort will be spared by us, by Ireland, to make progress on this matter, to get Tori home. She’s not a criminal, she’s a victim of gender-based violence,” he added.
"The embassy will take Tori to the airport as soon as she is ready to go,” the premier told Dáil (lower house of the Irish parliament).
Earlier, he criticised the UAE over how the Irish national was being treated in the Arab nation. It was "utterly, utterly unacceptable how an Irish citizen is being treated,"said Harris.
He further added that Towey had "been the victim of male violence".
"What Tori has been through is, I think, unimaginable for so many people here in this country, that a woman who has been the victim of a brutal attack found herself waking up not in a hospital, but in a police station," the premiersaid.
Timeline of Tori Towey's case
28 June- Tori Towey is charged with attempted suicide and alcohol abuse.
9 July- Opposition leader raises the issue in Parliament. Government responds.
10 July- The premier confirms the charges have been dropped and the travel ban imposed on herhas been lifted.
(With inputs from agencies)