Hundreds of women staged an angry protest outside the main courthouse in Tunis as a hearing began into whether a young couple who have lodged a rape claim against police should face charges of ''immorality'' in a public place.

About 400 people demonstrated, furious that a charge had been introduced against the 27-year-old woman and her boyfriend. Two police officers are accused of raping the woman over a period of more than an hour on September 3 after surprising the couple in a parked car in a suburb of the capital.

Fury ... many do not believe the Islamist led government is upholding the ideals of the 2011 revolution. Credit:AFP

The woman has recounted in media interviews how she had been in the driving seat, her boyfriend beside her, when three police officers approached. After threatening the couple with possible long prison terms if charged with ''immorality'', one of the police officers handcuffed the boyfriend and took him off to an ATM to extract 300 dinars ($190) from him. The two others allegedly took the woman into the back of their car and took turns to rape her.

A rape investigation was launched and the police officers allegedly involved are under arrest. But to the disgust of many Tunisians, the pre-trial magistrate looking at the case was given the go-ahead to launch a parallel investigation into whether the couple should face an ''immorality'' charge - punishable by up to six months in prison.