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A London teen is facing a 20-year sentence in a Dubai prison after being accused of having sex with a then 17-year-old girl while on holiday. Marcus Fakana, 18, was arrested in the United Arab Emirates city in August after the now 18 year old girl’s mum reported their relationship to the police, according to campaign group Detained in Dubai (DID).
Marcus, from Tottenham, North London, had been enjoying a holiday with his parents when he met a fellow Brit at the same hotel. A holiday fling sparked and the pair spent time together until the girl, also from London, flew back to Britain.
Marcus and his parents were set to fly back shortly after – but their plans were thrown into chaos when police knocked on their hotel room door. The “terrified” teenager was then reportedly hauled in for questioning without any explanation and held at the Al Barsha Police Station, DID said. He spent three days there, during which time he was not allowed to make a phone call or speak with his parents, it is claimed.
DID said he then discovered that his girlfriend’s mum had not known about their relationship while on holiday and had allegedly reported Marcus to Dubai authorities after finding their messages on her daughter’s phone. Marcus is living a “nightmare” stuck alone in Dubai and facing the possibility of 20 years in prison as the age of consent in the UAE is 18, reports the Mirror.
He said: “We had had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict. My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn’t tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy. When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again when I got home. Then suddenly, police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t tell me why. I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.”
Marcus is now living alone in Dubai with his parents returning to Britain to earn money in a bid to help him. He said: “I’m living in Airbnbs that are costing my family £2,000 per month. They had to go home to work. They earn a humble living: my mother is a cleaner and my dad works in a warehouse. They saved up for this one-off holiday and they have now used all of their savings. The police demanded 10,000 AED for bail which I’ve been told is not normal and the costs are mounting. I’m here all alone. I pray this nightmare will be over and I’ll be home for Christmas.”
Marcus’ family, who live in Tottenham, are calling on their local MP and Foreign Secretary, David Lammy, to help bring him home. The family is also being supported by DID, who stressed the unfairness of police involvement in “a private matter that is completely legal in the country where the children have grown up”.
CEO Radha Stirling stated: “[Marcus] was told his girlfriend’s mother had reported the relationship to authorities in Dubai after she had arrived back in London. Marcus later found out the mother had looked on her daughter’s phone and found their chats and pictures. She was furious and reported him to Dubai’s police.”
Ms Stirling continued: “This is clearly a very strict mother to involve police in a private matter that is completely legal in the country where she lives and where the children have grown up. Perhaps she wasn’t aware that she triggered the possibility of a young man of only 18 spending the next 20 years in prison.”
“Dubai has only recently legalised out of wedlock sex for tourists but still hosts a strict Islamic legal system. The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus and he didn’t know that at the time. Since his arrest, she has turned 18 and Marcus would not be facing 20 years in jail. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting. Parents will be scared to take their older teenagers on vacation with them where they could end up losing their lives over behaviour that’s completely legal in their own countries.”
Ms Stirling, an expert witness, has called on Mr Lammy to intervene. She stated: “Mr Lammy MP was appointed as the Foreign Secretary in July 2024 and is in a perfect position to help young Marcus. Dubai police have the power to drop the case against Marcus and let him come home. This is not something we want to do to young people and we ask Mr Lammy MP to convey this message to his counterparts in the UAE.”
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has yet to comment on the matter.
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