Mahjouba, who asked not to use her real name, said: "I am sure that if I raise my voice I'm going to be criminalized by my society and I will pay the price harshly ... and as a result I may stay single for the rest of my life."  She added: "I consulted a lawyer secretly, and he advised me sincerely not to seek justice because that would throw me in jail. I know what happened to other girls who decided to go to court and face the community. Their lives were destroyed completely forever. So I already know what would happen to me if I had to follow that path.  "This Islamic republic has no place for rape victims like me."  Mauritanian laws are based on Sharia law and the penal code forbids relationships between both sexes outside marriage. That includes a consensual relationship between a boyfriend and girlfriend but can also criminalize a woman who is forced to have sex.  Sidi Athman Ould Sidi Salem, a law specialist and legal adviser to the government, said: "If raped women don't bring strong evidence, which is not easy, they would be accused of Zina -- an Arabic word meaning sex out of marriage -- and end up in jail. It's because the victims of rape are always accused of a Zina which make a lot of problems."  Sidi Athman added: "The rape issue has been one of the many taboos that haven't been investigated (by the government)."  UNFPA, which promotes health and equality issues, is working with local groups and the government to define rape in law and protect its victims.  Thierno Coulibaly, UNFPA assistant representative in Mauritania for its reproductive health program and population and development program, said he was not aware of any rape victim in the capital currently in jail but could not comment on what was happening outside the capital.  Even with legal protection, women victims of rape still face a social stigma that is hard to overcome. He said: "Women are still afraid to complain if they are victims of rape because there is an attitude from the society."
Mahjouba was raped in March on the nighttime streets of Mauritania's capital, but she will not bring charges against the man she says did it since she may be the one who ends up in prison. The