Expat women in Beirut in fear after murder of female British diplomat

Following the sad news of the murder by an Uber driver of a female British diplomat, expat women working in Beirut are living in fear of their lives.

30-year old Rebecca Dykes, a policy and programme manager with the Foreign Office’s Department for International Development, was strangled and dumped on a road outside the city after booking a ride with Uber. Lebanese police tracked and arrested the killer, but the murder exposed the dark side of the city and has caused fear amongst resident expat women used to mingling with locals in bars, clubs and restaurants.

After news of the murder broke, Liane Wimhurst, a female reporter from the UK, told the media how, during her trip, she was often followed and hounded by gangs of young Lebanese males. Saying she’d hardly ever felt as unsafe as she did in Beirut, she added there’s a sinister side being shown towards Western women who’re seen as promiscuous, cheap and of no value. By the end of her trip, she said, she was too afraid to even go out of her hotel on her own.

The first impression expats have of Beirut is its similarity to European beach resorts, with families enjoying life on the beach, shopping malls and an air of familiarity. However, Liane soon noticed groups of young men following her, even when she took evasive measures by entering shops and turning down smaller streets. The groups were always there, and she felt as though she was being hunted.

One sunny morning she decided on a walk to the coast in order to soak up some warmth and enjoy the scenery. She soon saw a pack of followers getting ever closer to her and decided to dash across the busy highway until she realised some of them were now on the opposite side of the road. Getting desperate, she ran out into the traffic and waved her arms, hoping someone would stop and help her. The first car held a lone man, but the second contained a local family more than happy to help. As the car drove away, several of the gang members hit its sides in frustration.

After her unpleasant experience, many female expats told her it was the norm, adding notices at the local gym advised members to leave as a group as there’d been a number of assaults on unaccompanied women. Liane’s experience was similar to another she’d had whilst working in the Palestinian Left Bank for two years. It’s a sharp warning to female expat professionals heading for Middle Eastern assignments that everything is not as it seems, especially for women.