Jail term reduced for ‘drunk’ European woman: Bahrain

TDT | Manama

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

The High Criminal Appeals Court has reduced the punishment issued against a European woman who was convicted of attacking an on-duty policewoman after being fined for not wearing a face mask.

It was found that the defendant was suffering from an obsessive-compulsive disease for a long time and was subjected to panic attacks, but on the day of the incident, she consumed massive amounts of alcohol which caused her relapse.

As a result, she was sentenced to one year behind bars. However, her jail term was reduced to only six months on appeal.

The suspect assaulted the officer after being fined for not wearing a face mask as per the precautionary measures to combat the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).

She was said to have been roaming in Adliya without wearing a face mask and the victim and one of her colleagues spotted her.

She told her that a ticket was issued against her for violating the COVID-19 precautionary measures. “I requested her to settle the ticket fee on the spot as per the rules.

She said she didn’t have cash, therefore I requested to withdraw money and pay. However, she refused and she was in an abnormal condition,” the victim told prosecutors.

She added: “Suddenly she held her phone and started filming. We requested her to stop doing that and she insisted not to pay.

She assaulted me and hugged her friend so we don’t arrest her.” The European woman admitted to being drunk on the day of the incident, refuting claims she attacked anybody. “I was drunk, but I don’t remember attacking anybody,” she stated.