Caitlin McNamara, the curator of the inaugural Hay Festival in Abu Dhabi, has sent a formal letter of claim to Sheikh Nahyan Bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the UAE’s Minister of Tolerance and Coexistence.
Ms McNamara is claiming damages in consequence of multiple sexual assaults and false imprisonment she suffered at the hands of Sheikh Nahyan on 14 February 2020 at a private residence in Abu Dhabi.
Ms McNamara is compelled to take this step following the refusal of the British authorities to prosecute Sheikh Nahyan. The civil proceedings will be brought if necessary in the High Court in London.
Ms McNamara’s case has featured widely in the media, including in The Sunday Times on 18 October 2020 and in The Guardian on 20 March 2021.
Ms McNamara is represented by Cameron Doley.