An 18-year-old Brit faces 20 years in prison in Dubai after being charged with having sex with a the (Image: Ben Wright)
A British teenager faces 20 years in a Dubai prison after being charged with having sex with a 17-year-old girl during a holiday.
Marcus Fakana, 18, was arrested in August in the United Arab Emirates after the girl’s mother reported their relationship to the police, according to the campaign group Detained in Dubai (DID).
Marcus, from north London, had been on holiday with his parents when he met another British tourist staying at the same hotel. The pair began a holiday romance and spent time together until the girl, also from London, returned to the UK.
Marcus and his family were set to fly back shortly afterwards, but their plans were derailed when police arrived at their hotel room.
The “terrified” teenager was taken for questioning without any explanation and detained at Al Barsha Police Station, DID said.
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It is alleged that Marcus was held for three days without being allowed to contact his parents or make a phone call.
DID claimed Marcus later found out that the girl’s mother, unaware of the relationship during the holiday, discovered messages and photos on her daughter’s phone after returning to the UK. Enraged, she reported him to the Dubai authorities.
Now, Marcus is stuck in Dubai, facing a possible 20-year prison sentence.
Reflecting on the ordeal, Marcus said: “We had a wonderful time together and really liked each other. She had to keep it secret from her family because they were strict, but my parents knew.
Foreign Secretary David Lammy is also Mr Fakana’s MP (Image: Getty)
“When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again at home. Then suddenly, the police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t say why. I had no idea what I’d done wrong. I was terrified, and my parents were panicking.”
Since then, Marcus has been forced to remain in Dubai while his parents returned to the UK to earn money to support him.
“I’m living in Airbnbs that cost my family £2,000 a month,” Marcus explained. “They had to go home to work. My mum is a cleaner, and my dad works in a warehouse. This was meant to be their dream holiday, and now all their savings have gone. The police demanded 10,000 AED for bail, which I’ve been told isn’t normal, and the costs are piling up. I’m completely on my own here. I pray this nightmare will end, and I’ll be home for Christmas.”
Marcus’s family, who live in Tottenham, are urging the government to intervene and help bring him home, appealing to their local MP and Foreign Secretary David Lammy.
DID, which is supporting Marcus and his family, has criticised the police for becoming involved in what they call “a private matter that is entirely legal in the country where the children grew up.”
Radha Stirling, CEO of DID, said: “Marcus was told that his girlfriend’s mother reported their relationship to the Dubai authorities after returning to London.
“She looked through her daughter’s phone, found their chats and photos, and reported him to the police. This is clearly an extremely strict parent to involve the authorities over a private matter that would be perfectly legal in her home country.
“Perhaps she didn’t realise this could lead to a young man of just 18 facing up to 20 years in prison. Dubai has only recently legalised sex outside marriage for tourists but still enforces strict Islamic laws.
“The girl was only a few months younger than Marcus, and he didn’t know her exact age at the time. Now that she’s turned 18, this prosecution wouldn’t even apply if it happened today. Dubai shouldn’t be pursuing this case.
“Parents will now worry about taking older teenagers on holiday, knowing that behaviour perfectly lawful at home could ruin their lives abroad.”
Urging Mr Lammy to take action, Ms Stirling, who also acts as an expert witness, said: “As Foreign Secretary, Mr Lammy is in an ideal position to assist Marcus. Dubai police can drop the case and allow him to return home.
“This isn’t how we should treat young people, and we ask Mr Lammy to raise this with his UAE counterparts.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been approached for comment, as has Mr Lammy himself via his Parliamentary office.
