Wow. I can't believe that someone named Akim left a comment saying, "I am certain that [the Saudis] have a very good reason for doing what they do...They are doing His work after all."

Really? Fascinating. What good reason could there possibly be to torture an 18 year old rape victim?

By Akim's reasoning, if he were brutally gang raped - which I'm sure he has not the slightest idea of what that really means - he would then welcome 200 lashes and a 6 month jail sentence for his troubles because it is "His" work? That is not "His" work; it is the work of sick, depraved human beings lacking in moral compassion. It's amazing to me that such twisted laws still exist along with the people who follow them, but sadly they do. It's utterly disturbing as is that daft, glib comment.

Mica Lee, San Francisco, CA

I am fed up with the woman of the Middle East being treated this way and being punished for it. I think the evil men or should i say immature little boys who commited such a crime, should remember who pushed them into the world in the first place. I think the (evil) men of the Middle East are scared and afraid of a woman, clearly stating the obvious as they control woman in such a way all to make sure they stay un educated, in need of a man just to stroke the male ego of POWER. This is what it boils down to, so at the back of a mans mind everyday is how powerful a woman can be if not is.

Ashley Bojang, Hertfordshire, England

We shouldn't judge or interfere with the Saudis. I am certain that they have a very good reason for doing what they do. We need to learn about them, understand them, and protect them. They are doing His work after all.

Akim, Akron, USA

Bonjour Fin from France

I know I know inteligence is not evenly shared throughout the world.

I know that in the 7th century we were barbarians also. Just wait another 13 centuries and lo and behold the light will befall upon you. Yes we too were condeming victims who did not believe in our faith 13 centuries ago. We were racking them on the wheel and impaling them....we were savages at the time.

Last point: I expect that we will be out of patrol and gas before the 13 centuries are over....and then at least we won't have to bow to countries with these products as they will all be back on their camels trading in salt...something worth so little nowadays.....

That's when things will be back in order.

EB, Toulouse, France

I think it is important to draw a distinction between regimes with which we have relationships based upon mutual benefit at a point in time and 'friends'. Clearly the appalling Saudi dictatorship is no 'friend' of ours any more than were the Russians in WWII. Diplomacy is an exercise in self interest and although as a nation we may object occasionally to the most blatant outrages by our business partners that self interest will always be the overriding consideration for government. The intervention of our government in the criminal investigation into the BAE Systems corruption accusation involving the same Saudi regime, and a great deal of business for this country, is a case in point.

pragmatist, Torbay, UK

Fin: Crawl back under the rock from which you came. If you expect to be able to treat anyone worse than you expect to be treated yourself without criticism and to be able to call it "culture", you need to find your own planet. Women shouldn't have to wear bags because men can't keep their minds out of the gutter - you Sharia nutbags need to take responsibility for your own thoughts and actions. You call mandatory clitorectomies, treating women like they're nothing more than baby factories and punching bags, gang rape and beating the rape victim "family values"?? Women should be able to be in the presence of ANYone under ANY circumstances without having to worry about being subjected to the culturally- and state-sanctioned brutality to which radical Muslim men think they're entitled. Eve was made from Adam's rib to stand beside him - he obviously wasn't doing too well on his own - not from his thumb or heel. Reptiles display more compassion than this.

Tiffany, St. Louis,

I would like to thank Fin, Birmingham, UK for his subjective and logic comment.

What we need people like him for thinking and behaving in a subjective way.

Azooz, Leicester, UK

Saudi is still a primitive in the extreme, and so is Iran and all countries following "Sharia". Sharia is really an excuse for a a bunch of vile old men who clearly hate and fear women to indulge in as much sadism as they like and to exercise their power over them.The rapists were not adequately punished in spite of a film of the horrific attack on a moblie phone.Surely this would have served as the witness Sharia requires before it can believe the word of a mere woman however hurt she has been..Sharia never ever sets foot in the UK..

Frances , Tunbridge Wells, UK

I'm slightly curious about the human rights group complaining that the court didn't take the mobile phone evidence into account. As written here it almost suggeests they're in favour of the death penalty

ed, london,

@Fin:

"Typical arrogant West"

First time I've heard that showing compassion for a raped female is 'arrogance'. But then again, the kind of muppet who criticises an entire hemisphere while living in it isn't exactly showing the courage of his convictions, is he?

Kev, London,

Fin , it must be nice to be free to express your ignorant opinions without the threat of 200 hundred lashes ...

Benzo, Nr Chelmsford,

Fin, Your attempt to justify the judgement handed down to an innocent victim of RAPE by linking it to drunken 'tarts' on the streets of Britain is sickening to say the least..Just because you share the same religion as the Saudis does not mean that you should try and rationalise whatever atrocities they commit in the name of religion and Sharia.Now that you have had the experience of living in the liberal West, maybe you should try and spend a bit of time in the promised land of the Muslims (Saudi or the Middle East in general) before you start passing judgements on cultures (or the lack of it, in the case of the Middle East) in different parts of the world.

Have some shame!

Before you start, I have travelled extensively in the Middle East and did not like what I saw there, especially the attitude towards women,migrant workers and non muslims..Although I have not been to Saudi, I expect things to be much worse there, if reports are to be believed..

Chris, Brighton, Sussex

There is a difference between criticizing how much crime there is, and criticizing the effectiveness of a judicial system, Roger. Whether or not there is more crime in Glasgow is not the point. The point is that there is more predictability and consistency in how the law is applied once a crime has been committed, because British (and most other) courts follow a written, standardized code of law, and (usually) legal precedents. This doesn't happen in Saudi Arabia - there is no codified law, as the article notes, and no precedents need to be followed. This means that what ruling will be handed down in any given case is hugely unpredicable and even idiosyncratic.

Certainly, our own systems of law are not perfect, but they don't have the same problems as the Saudi system and we are not precluded from pointed those out. I certainly wouldn't say that our system is "absolutely hopeless". A consistently applied rule of law is no small feat; it wasn't accomplished by accident.

Adrienne, Richmond Hill, Canada

Unbelievable....2007....2008...2009...lots of patience required for some souls

Dee, Springdale, Arkansas

Check out the story about the Saudi royal family giving $10 Million dollars to the Clinton Library fund! They also gave about the same to George Bush Senior's library fund.

Amazing is it not? A country who jails and whips a victim of rape is actually seen as a strong friend of the US and deemed suitable for presidents to take money from. But Iraq has appalling human rights and needs liberating?

Where did the vast majority of the 9/11 hijackers come from again? Iran, iraq, Syria? No of course not Saudi Arabia, our good old buddies.

Even the staunch republicans who assume all the talk about oil and business being behind the wars in the middle east need to start thinking about this. Why do the west seemingly close their eyes and pretend not to see what the Saudi's are up to?

GM, Brisbane,

There's a lot less crime in Riyadh than Glasgow, TE. Don't criticise other people's judicial systems when ours is so absolutely hopeless.

Roger Tilbury, Worthing,

The victim of a violent crime has been pardoned. Mohammedan magnanimity truly knows no bounds.

Klaatu, New York, USA

Pardonned, as in, "we'll let you off this once."

I've just returned from four months in Saudi and this pretty much says it all about Saudi law. Someone please steal the oil and send them back to the Stone Age!

The royal family is in an admittedly difficult position, but radical anything needs to be swiftly broken up before it can do more damage, and radical Islam is as damaging as the worst of creeds.

Mike, Plymouth, UK,

Hahaha well thats ok then.

He's obviously such a nice man, it was perfectly appropriate to give him such a fantastic reception last month.

If this token decision gains the Saudi regime one ounce of respectability internationally it will be a disgrace.

Gabriel vogt, faringdon, oxon

Hear hear. We should sever all ties with countries that treat rape victims (and even consensual lovers) as criminals. Cut off all aid to all countries under islamic law, deport anyone supporting islamic laws here in the west to the 7th century hellholes they clearly long for, block sales of our fighter jets to a country that is already funding the enemies who attack our troops and will eventually turn on our air force with the right equipment, and support the introduction and acceptance of proper plug-innable electric cars to deny Saudi Arabia its oil revenues and home-produce our car's energy supply. Then sit back and watch the islamic world implode without any help from us.
Ban and oppose Islam as we once opposed Naziism or we will all lose our freedom to choose the laws we want for ourselves and unislamic ideas and books etc will be burned just like the Third Reich did - wake up Europe, the enemy is already well inside the gates of Vienna!

Zippy, Leeds, UK

Muslim women suffer around the world. Last week in Mississauga, Canada a 16 year old girl was murdered by her father for not wearing her hijab. The world needs to stand against the idea that any person/family/group - religious or otherwise - has the right to have absolute control over females.

(The irony is that when this family came to Canada a couple of years ago, that same father probably had the intention of providing a better life for his family. Bottom line is that religious fundamentalism has no place in a civilized country. Period.)

LB, Hamilton, Canada

i am surprised that israel and the jews were not blamed.

arnie kurtz, wpg , canada

Typical arrogant West to expect every other country to follow its own culture and laws, and to pass judgement on 'primitive, unenlightened' cultures.

Yes just look at the UK where so much crime is tolerated and courts fail proper punishments. Where women dress and act like tarts falling about drunk in the streets, and men own no responsibility. Where family life is crumbling away in cultural narcism.

Saudia Arabia no doubt has faults, but what amazes me are those blind to the faults of their own culture and can only criticise others. Who are we to criticise other cultures? We need to accept other cultures are equally as valid, perhaps better, than our own.

Fin, Birmingham, UK

And Iraq needed a regieme change?

TE, glasgow,