Princess begs U.K. for probe into `kidnapping'

Princess Latifa of Dubai has written to British police, pleading for a fresh investigation into the alleged kidnapping and torture of her sister at the hands of the emirate's ruling elite.

In an astonishing letter, seen by The Daily Telegraph, the princess — herself held captive in the Gulf state — said she had “personally witnessed” her sister, Princess Shamsa, suffer “physical abuse at the hands of family members.” She claims her sister was punched in the face and had her feet caned.

The High Court in London already has ruled that Princess Shamsa was abducted on the orders of her father Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in August 2000. It is claimed that she escaped her father's estate in Surrey, but was captured in Cambridge and flown home by helicopter and private jet via France.

The court has also ruled that Latifa was held against her will when she too tried to escape from Dubai by boat in 2018, but was caught on the Indian Ocean.

Videos of Latifa, recorded on her phone, were smuggled out of Dubai last week. In them, she accused her father of holding her hostage.

It has now emerged that she wrote a letter to Cambridgeshire Police in February 2018, urging the force to open a new inquiry into Shamsa's alleged abduction.

Latifa described seeing her sister struck across the face. She said her sister had “wanted to seek asylum in the U.K.” but when she was found in Cambridge by a team deployed by her father, Shamsa was “dragged form the street, kicking and screaming” before being “tranquilized and flown back from Dubai” where she was “imprisoned until 2008” with “no release date, trial or charge.”

She concluded: “All I ask of you is to please give attention on her case because it could get her her freedom, the only thing that she wants in life.”

Cambridgeshire Police previously confirmed “aspects” of their 2001 investigation — which found insufficient evidence to take any action — will be revisited, although the force insisted the investigation is no longer “active.”

A spokesman said: “The review into the disappearance of Princess Shamsa continues. There are details of the case that it would be inappropriate to discuss publicly. Officers have recently received a letter, dated February 2018, in relation to this case which will be looked at as part of the ongoing review.”

Princess Latifa