An 18-year-old British teenager is potentially facing imprisonment for engaging in a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old while on vacation in Dubai, according to authorities.
During his family vacation in Dubai, Marcus Fakana had the opportunity to meet a 17-year-old girl from Britain. It was in September when they crossed paths, and since then, the girl has celebrated her 18th birthday.
“We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict,” Fakana told criminal justice specialist group Detained in Dubai.
“My parents were aware of our relationship, but she couldn’t disclose it to her own parents. She had to sneak around and meet me without revealing that she was seeing a boy,” he explained.
Fakana, originally from Tottenham in north London, was reported to the Dubai police by the mother of the girl involved in the relationship. The mother discovered the relationship after returning from a vacation and finding text conversations between Fakana and her daughter. As a result, Fakana was apprehended by the authorities at his hotel in Dubai. If convicted, he could potentially face a maximum prison sentence of 20 years in Dubai.
“We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family,” said a spokesperson for the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Radha Stirling, the founder and chief executive of Detained in Dubai, has provided her insights on the situation, as she is currently involved in working with Fakana.
“It’s a unique case in that it’s the first one we’ve brought to the media where it’s a British citizen and where the age difference is so small,” revealed Stirling. “This is clearly just a case of two older teenagers, both of them now the same age, who have been caught up because a mother reported the behavior.”
“This has gone absolutely viral and people just don’t think it’s fair. They are shocked that something that is absolutely legal in the UK could warrant 20 years in prison [in Dubai]. That would ruin their son’s life, the whole family’s lives. Is that worth it?” continued Stirling.
Stirling confirmed that the boy’s parents had no choice but to return to London without him, as they had to continue working.
“Consensual sexual relationships between a male and female outside marriage are generally legal as long as both are over the age of 18 years,” states the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
“If a person aged 18 or over has a sexual relationship with a person under 18 years old, they will be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor,” the office continues.
