An 18-year-old Briton Jailed for having sex with an underage 17-year-old British girl in Dubai has handed himself into authorities there to begin a one-year jail sentence, a charity says.
Marcus Fakana, of Tottenham, north London, began a secretive romance in September with another Londoner, wow 18, while both were on holiday with their families.
After returning home and seeing pictures and chats between the pair, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who arrested Fakana at his hotel. Sex with someone under 18 is illegal in Dubai.
The Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office announced that it supported a British man in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
According to the UK-based campaign group and charity Detained in Dubai, Fakana became Dubai’s Al Awir prison.
Since his arrest in September, he has been on bail and staying in temporary accommodation in Dubai. His parents had to return to London to resume their jobs in a warehouse and as cleaners to help pay for their son’s accommodation.
‘He is fearless’
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, which helps foreigners abroad and is an international authority on UAE law, said she had spoken with Fakana, who told her he would focus on his physical and mental health while in jail.
“Marcus is hopeful that, at the beginning of his ordeal today, he will be home sooner than he would have been if he had appealed,” she said.
“Having the right words to tell a young man turning himself in for a year in Dubai prison is challenging.
“He’s fearless and kind, and I truly hope he will be home soon.”
Fakana’s family. It said his parents hoped for a royal pardon and a commuted sentence.
They also push the UK government and Foreign Secretary David Lammy “for assistance”.
A Downing Street spokesman said earlier this month: “The prime minister recognises it’s an extremely distressing situation for Marcus and his family.”
Previously, the charity explained both teenagers were on holiday with their parents in the UAE from the UK, where the age of consent is 16.
Fakana had told his family about the romance, but the girl had not told hers.
The government of Dubai previously said: “Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor and, by procedures recognised internationally, her mother – being the legal guardian – filed the complaint.”
It added: “Dubai’s legal system is committed to protecting the rights of all individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings.”
