British teenager jailed for one year in Dubai after ‘holiday romance’ with London girl he met while abroad

A British teenager has been sentenced to one year in prison in Dubai after having consensual sex with a fellow British teen during a holiday romance.

Marcus Fakana, 18, from Tottenham, North London, was arrested in September after an encounter with a British-Indian girl who was 17 at the time but is now 18.

The sentence was handed down today following his detention in the United Arab Emirates.

Fakana was holidaying with his parents in Dubai when he met the girl, who is also from London, and their romance blossomed.

The pair had kept their relationship secret from the girl’s family “because they were strict” and had hoped to continue seeing each other when they returned to the UK.

The teenagers’ holiday romance came to an abrupt end when police arrived at Fakana’s family hotel and took him into custody without explanation.

The arrest came after the girl’s mother discovered their private messages and photographs upon returning to the UK and contacted Dubai authorities.

According to campaign group Detained in Dubai, Fakana was subsequently arrested and charged based on the mother’s complaint.

The case highlights Dubai’s strict enforcement of its age of consent laws, which set the legal age at 18.

Dubai Public Prosecution defended their actions, stating: “Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor, and in accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her mother – being the legal guardian – filed the complaint.”

The prosecution added: “Dubai’s legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings.”

The emirate is known for its strict enforcement of laws regarding drugs, alcohol and sex outside of marriage.

Rahda Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said Fakana felt abandoned by the British government since his arrest.

“[Marcus] was desperately hoping to come home this week but prosecutorial mishandling in the first stages of the case meant it wasn’t heard as a misdemeanour when it should have been,” Stirling said.

Fakana is expected to appeal against his sentence. He and his family have appealed to Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is also their local MP in Tottenham, to intervene in the case.

GB News has approached the Foreign Office for a comment.