Marcus Fakana: Brit, 18, released from Dubai jail after prison term for relationship with 17-year-old
An 18-year-old British man who was locked up in Dubai for having a relationship with a 17-year-old girl has been released and is back in the UK.
Marcus Fakana of Tottenham, north London, was given a one-year jail term after the relationship was reported to police.
The campaign group Detained in Dubai said Fakana received a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The group’s chief executive, Radha Stirling, said Mr Fakana “is currently recovering”, adding in a statement: “His case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.
“We believe this case highlights the urgent need for expedited legal processes for foreign nationals and safeguards against unnecessary custodial sentences.”
Mr Fakana was with his parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the end of August when a “holiday romance blossomed” with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, the campaign group previously said.
After returning to the UK and seeing pictures and chats, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who then arrested Mr Fakana at his hotel, it is alleged. In Dubai, if an adult has a sexual relationship with a person under 18, they can be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor.
In December Fakana made a plea to the Dubai rulers, saying: "Today I was sentenced to one year in Dubai prison. My family and I are devastated and in shock. I never intended to break the law. It didn’t occur to me at the time and for that, I’m sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me. Let me go home. Please give me my life back."
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.