90 Lashes for Incest

(Sharjah, United Arab Emirates) A brother and sister have been sentenced by the Sharjah Sharia Court of First Instance to 90 lashes and three months in jail followed by deportation for engaging in incest.

Police said S.M.A., a 22-year-old Pakistani, had a sexual relationship with his sister M.M.A, 20. The brother and sister used to live in Sharjah with their elder brother and their step mother after the death of their father four years ago.

M.M.A. told the court that every night when their stepmother and their elder brother used to go to bed she used to go to S.M.A. room and spend the night with him.

The relationship resulted in a pregnancy and a child was born about six weeks ago. The brother and sister are appealing the verdict.