What began as a newlywed trip to Qatar quickly spiralled into a legal and personal nightmare for a British couple, with the husband alleging he was later jailed and deported after speaking out about his wife’s alleged harassment at a luxury hotel in Doha.
According to a report by The Telegraph, Craig Barratt, 49, and his wife Sarah, 34, had travelled to Qatar shortly after getting married in York in June last year. Craig had secured a lucrative healthcare consulting contract advising governments across the Middle East, while Sarah joined him for what they described as a short honeymoon before a cruise planned later in the year.
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The couple were staying at The Ritz-Carlton Doha when the alleged incident occurred on July 30, 2024. Sarah said she was alone by the hotel pool while Craig attended a business meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}The couple were staying at The Ritz-Carlton Doha when the alleged incident occurred on July 30, 2024. Sarah said she was alone by the hotel pool while Craig attended a business meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
{{/usCountry}}She alleged that two men approached her and initially asked her to take their photograph. The interaction soon turned uncomfortable when one of the men allegedly asked for her room number and made disturbing remarks.
“I will sleep with you, you will enjoy it, and you will fall in love with me,” Sarah claimed one of the men told her.
Feeling frightened and vulnerable, Sarah said she remained at the pool until the men eventually left, fearing they might follow her if she attempted to return to her room.
Hotel allegedly changed its stance
Sarah immediately informed Craig, who contacted the hotel’s general manager. According to The Telegraph, the manager initially apologised and reportedly told the couple CCTV footage had been reviewed.
In a WhatsApp message cited by the publication, the manager allegedly wrote: “I found the CCTV recording thanks to your detailed feedback. The guests left the premises.”
The couple decided to remain at the hotel after they were upgraded to a suite and promised additional security.
However, matters escalated days later when Sarah claimed she saw the same men again in the hotel lobby. She alleged security staff failed to help and said one guard laughed at her concerns, triggering what she described as a panic attack.
Craig later posted a Tripadvisor review warning travellers that the hotel was “unsafe for western women”.
Arrest and deportation
The review was later removed from Tripadvisor after the hotel challenged it, according to the report.
Craig later discovered he had been convicted under Qatar’s cybercrime laws after returning to the country for work. He was detained at Hamad International Airport, fined 20,000 Qatari riyals and initially handed a prison sentence.
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Though the jail term was later removed on appeal, Craig said he was detained again in October and spent four nights in custody before being deported.
“This is not about a Tripadvisor review,” Craig told The Telegraph. “I was trying to protect my wife who thought she was going to be raped.”