Wednesday, July 31, 2024

Tori Towey returns home to Ireland after Dubai charges dropped

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A woman charged with criminal offences in Dubai after she was allegedly a victim of domestic violence has returned to Ireland.

Tori Towey, 28, faced charges including attempted suicide and consuming alcohol and had her passport destroyed.

Her case prompted an intervention by Taoiseach (Irish prime minister) Simon Harris earlier this week after it was raised in the Dáil (Irish lower house of parliament).

Radha Stirling, a lawyer and human rights advocate who runs the Detained in Dubai group, said Ms Towey said on social media “she’s home”.

A flight from Dubai landed in Dublin at 12:21 local time.

Ms Towey, from County Roscommon, was working as a flight attendant with an airline based in Dubai, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), when she was charged with attempting suicide and consuming alcohol.

Police in the UAE withdrew the charges against her on Wednesday and a travel ban was lifted.

Her case drew attention in Ireland when it was raised in the Dáil by Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald.

Mr Harris said her treatment had been “utterly, utterly unacceptable”.

Claire Kerrane, a Sinn Féin TD from Roscommon, said she had spoken to Ms Towey.

“She wants to get home to County Roscommon and rest. I would ask that the media respect her privacy, she will speak when she is ready to,” she wrote on X, formerly Twitter.

Ms Kerrane said hopes that media will respect that and Ms Towey “will be given that space”.

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