Judges have ruled that 14 men accused of gang-raping a woman will still stand trial, despite the alleged victim withdrawing her complaint after receiving BD40,000 ($105,249) in compensation from the defendants.

The 23-year-old Thai woman said she was dragged into a car after she refused to have sex when approached by one of the defendants on January 30 in Juffair, reported the Gulf Daily News (GDN), our sister publication.

She alleged she was raped multiple times at different locations including a house, car and a farm in A'ali by all 14 defendants, aged 17 to 24.

The woman agreed to drop her complaint after receiving compensation, but judges in the High Criminal Court have agreed to move forward with the case.

They yesterday adjourned the trial until September 6, when security camera footage that allegedly shows the victim being abducted from outside a hotel will be submitted to court.

“She was going home in Juffair before he (a 20-year-old defendant) said he wanted to have sex with her,” stated a Public Prosecution submission to the court.

“The driver of the car then forcibly drove her to a home in A'ali belonging to a 23-year-old defendant.

“The 12 other men were waiting at the house where they gang-raped her inside a bedroom.

“A 24-year-old defendant then raped her in a car and two men, aged 21, raped her in a nearby farm.”

One of the defendants is also accused of stealing her mobile phone and SR1,000 (BD100/$263), which was tucked into the cover of the phone, and she said her ring was also stolen.

All 14 defendants, who are in police custody, appeared at the High Criminal Court yesterday where they earlier pleaded not guilty.

One of the woman's friends told prosecutors he received a message from her, along with her location, after she tried to contact him following the alleged abduction.

He said he went to the area and saw two of the defendants, who he asked if they had seen a Thai woman.

They denied seeing her and he left.

“The following day I found out she had been raped in the same farm and two of them that I saw raped her,” he said in his statement.

“I identified them during a police line up.” - TradeArabia News Service