After having a intimate relationship with a 17-year-old London woman he met while on vacation, an 18-year-old European traveler is facing possible jail time in Dubai. After the woman’s family found their contact and reported it to Dubai government, Marcus Fakana was detained and charged.
Dubai mandates an 18-year-old age of consent. Although the child has since turned 18 and is still regarded as a minor in the UAE, the couple has still been dating. According to media reports, the adolescent may spend up to 20 years in prison.
When Fakana met the girl, Fakana and his relatives were on a trip to the UAE. We genuinely liked each other, but because of their strictness, Fakana told Detained in Dubai,” she was covert with her home.” ” My parents knew about our relationship, but she could n’t tell hers. Without telling them it was a boy, she had to join me.
Both parties expressed interest in continuing their relationship in their native land when the girl came back to the UK. Her mother, however, reached out to the Dubai government after finding their connections.
Fakana was later detained by Dubai authorities at the hotel where his home lives, where he was kept there for three days without being able to communicate with his family.
” The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus, and he did n’t know that at the time. Since his imprisonment, she has turned 18, and Marcus would not be facing 20 times in jail”, said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, a group that assists people facing legal problems in the UAE, according to a Horizon News report. ” This is not something Dubai may be prosecuting”.
Dubai Public Prosecution said,” Under UAE law, the woman is officially classified as a small, and in accordance with procedures recognized abroad, her mother—being the constitutional guardian—filed the complaint. The legal system of Dubai is committed to ensuring independent judicial proceedings while upholding all individual rights.
Now, Fakana is not in police prison but is prohibited from leaving Dubai. He said his home is spending £2, 000 on Airbnbs until his case is resolved.
Fakana and his relatives are requesting help from the Foreign Office and their MP in the UK. While the scenario is being resolved, Fakana’s community is paying significant amounts of money.
According to a statement from Sky News, the UK Foreign Office confirmed that they are supporting Fakana and that they are in touch with his community.
