An 18-year-old Londoner faces up to 20 years in prison in the United Arab Emirates over a vacation romance with another London teenager.
Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham, was on a family vacation in Dubai when he met a 17-year-old British girl from London, who has since turned 18, The Guardian reported. The pair had hoped to continue their relationship once she returned to London. However, Fakana claims he was taken into custody without explanation when police arrived at his family’s hotel.
“We really liked each other, but she was secretive with her family because they were strict,” he told Detained in Dubai. “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.”
Fakana was charged after the girl’s mother discovered their messages and pictures in the UK and alerted police in Dubai. Fakana was arrested and held for three days, during which he was unable to contact his parents. Campaigners warn that the teenager could face up to 20 years in prison due to the UAE’s strict laws on sex outside of marriage.
“Dubai has only recently legalized out-of-wedlock sex for tourists, but still hosts a strict Islamic legal system,” said Radha Stirling, the chief executive of Detained in Dubai.
Sex outside of marriage is legal for tourists in the UAE, but only if both parties are over 18.
“The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus, and he didn’t know that at the time,” Stirling said. “Since his arrest, she has turned 18. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting.”
Although Fakana is no longer in police custody, he is unable to leave the UAE, and his family is facing £2,000 in accommodation costs for Airbnb. At the same time, they await the resolution of his case. The teen’s relationship would be legal in the UK, prompting Fakana’s family to contact Foreign Secretary David Lammy, their local MP, and urge him to intervene.
“[My family] saved up for this one-off holiday and have now used all of their savings,” Fakana said.
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