An 18-year-old Londoner, Marcus Fakana, could face years of imprisonment in Dubai after being charged for having a relationship with a 17-year-old British girl he met during a family vacation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
Fakana, who was vacationing with his family in Dubai, described how a “holiday romance blossomed” with the girl, who is now 18 and from London.
Reflecting on their time together, he said, “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 letting them know it was to see a boy.”
The couple reportedly hoped to continue their relationship back home.
Fakana recounted how police detained him without explanation. “They just turned up at the hotel and took me into custody. I wasn’t allowed to call or speak to my parents for three days,” he explained to Detained in Dubai, a nonprofit organization that advocates for individuals facing legal challenges in the UAE.
According to the group, Fakana’s arrest stemmed from a complaint made by the girl’s mother in the UK. She reportedly discovered their private chats and photographs and contacted Dubai police, leading to charges against Fakana under the UAE’s strict laws governing relationships and sexual conduct.
Dubai operates under a strict Islamic legal framework, where the age of consent is set at 18 and is strictly enforced.
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, criticized the prosecution, stating, “The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus, and he didn’t know her age at the time. She has since turned 18, meaning this case would no longer be an issue. Yet Marcus faces up to 20 years in prison—a sentence completely disproportionate to the circumstances.”
Stirling argued that the same relationship, if it had occurred in the UK, would not have been illegal, emphasizing the disparity between the two countries’ legal frameworks. “This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting,” she added.
“This is clearly a very strict mother to involve the police in a private matter that is completely legal in the country where she lives and where the children were raised. Perhaps she wasn’t aware that she triggered the possibility of a young man of only 18 spending the next 20 years in prison.”
Stirling warned that the case could have broader implications for families traveling to Dubai with teenagers. “Parents will now be scared to take their older teenagers on vacation with them, where they could end up losing their lives over behavior that’s completely legal in their own countries,” she said.
Stranded in Dubai, Fakana is currently living in Airbnbs while his family struggles to afford his mounting expenses. He revealed, “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 their savings.”
Fakana’s bail alone cost the family 10,000 dirhams (£2,150), and his monthly living expenses in Dubai are draining them further, amounting to £2,000 per month. “The costs are mounting. I’m here all alone. I pray this nightmare will be over and I’ll be home for Christmas,” he said.
The family is now appealing directly to David Lammy to use his position as Foreign Secretary to advocate for Marcus’s release.
Stirling said, “Mr. Lammy is in a perfect position to help young Marcus. Dubai police have the power to drop the case 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.”
