A dream honeymoon in Doha became a years-long legal nightmare for a British couple after the husband's public complaint about his wife's alleged harassment at a luxury hotel led to his arrest, conviction, and eventual deportation from Qatar.
The Incident at the Hotel
The case involves Craig Barratt, a 49-year-old healthcare consultant, and his wife Sarah, 34. Sarah told The Telegraph that two men approached her by the pool, asking her to take their photograph. The situation quickly turned disturbing when one of the men allegedly asked for her room number and made sexually threatening remarks, including, "I will sleep with you, you will enjoy it, and you will fall in love with me."
Feeling frightened, Sarah stayed by the pool until the men left. When Craig returned, he contacted the hotel's general manager, who initially apologized and said, via WhatsApp, "I found the CCTV recording thanks to your detailed feedback. The guests left the premises." The couple accepted a suite upgrade and additional security, but days later, Sarah claimed she saw the same men in the lobby. Security staff allegedly laughed at her concerns, triggering a panic attack.
From TripAdvisor Review to Cybercrime Case
Frustrated, Craig posted a TripAdvisor review warning that the hotel was "unsafe for Western women." The hotel challenged the review, which was removed, and then filed a criminal defamation complaint under Qatar's cybercrime laws, citing the review and private messages to Marriott leadership.
In February 2025, Craig was convicted in absentia, fined 20,000 Qatari riyals, sentenced to one week in prison, and ordered deported. The jail term was annulled on appeal, but the deportation order and fine remained.
Craig learned of his conviction only when he returned to Qatar for work and was detained at Hamad International Airport. He was fined and barred from staying. In October 2025, he was detained again, held in a small, dirty, freezing enclosure with about 15 others for one night, then moved to a detention center for three more nights. His wife, Qatari lawyer, and British consular staff could not locate him until the fourth day. He was then deported and given a five-year ban from re-entering Qatar.
Protecting His Wife
Craig insists the case is not about a negative review but about protecting his wife. As he told The Telegraph, "This is not about a Tripadvisor review. I was trying to protect my wife who thought she was going to be raped." The case has drawn international attention, raising questions about how foreign guests are treated under Qatar's cybercrime laws.
