Socialites, get into this: A British tourist, 18, who set out for an exciting vacation is now facing a nightmare with a potential 20-year jail sentence in Dubai due to a holiday romance with a 17-year-old girl.
According to the Independent UK, Marcus Fakana, 18, was on vacation with his parents when he met a girl, 17, who was also staying at the same hotel. The news site reports that the teenagers engaged in sexual intercourse and even made plans to continue their budding romance upon their return to London.
However, the situation took a dramatic turn when the girl’s mother discovered their text messages on her phone and immediately reported him to the police. Mr. Fakana, from Tottenham, North London, asserts that he was unaware the girl was younger than him when they met. The news site notes that their relationship would be entirely legal in the UK and although Dubai has recently legalized sex outside of marriage for tourists, the region still adheres to a strict Islamic legal framework.
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Now facing the prospect of decades in prison, the young man recounted to the publication Detained In Dubai, “We 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.”
He further explained, “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.”
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, who is assisting Mr. Fakana, also commented, “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. The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus and he didn’t know that at the time. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting.”
Marcus and his family are now seeking assistance from Tottenham MP David Lammy, following his appointment as Foreign Secretary in July.
“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.”
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