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Pre-marital sex is a criminal offence in the UAE. Picture: istock
A COUPLE visiting Abu Dhabi has allegedly been arrested for having premarital sex after a doctor reportedly told authorities the woman was pregnant.
Emlyn Culverwell, 29, from South Africa took his fiance Iryna Nohai, 27, from the Ukraine to hospital while on holiday after she experienced stomach cramps.
Mr Culverwell has been working in the UAE for the past five years, the BBC reports.
A doctor examined her and discovered she was pregnant before apparently dobbing the couple into authorities because they were not married.
Pre-marital sex is a criminal offence in the United Arab Emirates.
Iryna Nohai, 27, and her fiance Emlyn Culverwell, 29, have been arrested after a doctor discovered she was pregnant and reported the couple to police for premarital sex. Picture: Facebook/Iryna Nohai.Source:Facebook
Charges have allegedly not been laid against the couple, who have reportedly been held since January 29.
The couple became engaged just two days before their arrest.
Mr Culverwell’s mother Linda said while the couple had not been charged, Iryna was being tested to determine how long she had been sexually active.
“For heaven’s sake, how can they supposedly determine that?,” Linda told Netwek24.
“It must feel as if she is being raped by the authorities.”
Linda described the situation as “hell”.
She added: “The only thing they did wrong was fall in love — it makes no sense.”
Iryna Nohai is being tested to establish how long she has been sexually active. Picture: Facebook/Iryna Nohai.Source:Facebook
Linda said the Ukrainian embassy is trying to get permission for the couple to marry or be deported.
She said both sides of the family were having a tough time getting answers on the future of their kids.
“All the Department of International Relations is prepared to say is that we have ‘to be patient’, but there are three lives at stake here.”
South Africa’s foreign ministry has said that it is not able to help the couple as this is a matter of domestic UAE law, News24 reports.
The South African government has advised the couple to get legal assistance, the BBC’s Pumza Fihlani in Johannesburg said.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE government.