An Irish woman who was detained by police and charged with attempting suicide by a Dubai court will be allowed to return home, Ireland’s prime minister has said.
Tori Towey, from Boyle in County Roscommon, says she tried to take her own life after allegedly being attacked and left with severe bruising and other injuries.
Irish authorities were urged to intervene after the 28-year-old, who works in the United Arab Emirates as an airline cabin crew member, was taken to a police station and her passport blocked from use.
Taoiseach Simon Harris now says the travel ban imposed by Dubai authorities has been lifted.
He said: “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.”
Earlier, Mr Harris described Ms Towey’s ordeal as “unimaginable” and said it was “utterly, utterly unacceptable how an Irish citizen is being treated”.
He added: “A woman who has been a victim of a brutal attack found herself waking up not in hospital, but in a police station. It’s my absolute priority as the taoiseach of this country, to get Tori back home to Roscommon.”
He thanked the Irish embassy in the UAE for its work on the case.
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Ms Towey has been staying in a rented property in Dubai with her mother Caroline, who travelled to be with her daughter.
The family are being assisted by the Detained In Dubai advocacy group, whose chief executive Radha Stirling said the pair are “over the moon” at the lifting of the travel ban.
“We hope her transit at the airport will go smoothly and that no further attempts will be made to keep her in the country,” she added.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK