The family of an 18-year-old British boy who is facing up to 20 years in a UAE prison over a holiday romance has warned that his mental health is ‘declining’.
Marcus Fakana, of Tottenham, was held in Dubai’s ‘notorious’ Al Barsha Police Station for days after the ‘strict’ mother of a 17-year-old girl he had sex with on holiday this summer reported him to Dubai authorities.
The teenagers who had met while staying at the same hotel with their families, ‘had a wonderful time together’, with the girl – also a Brit – meeting up in secret as she feared she could not tell her mother she was seeing a boy.
Now, Marcus could face two decades inside a gruelling UAE prison after the girl’s furious mother found out about the fling and informed police in Dubai upon returning back to the UK.
While the relationship would have been legal in the UK, under Dubai law a 17-year-old is defined as a child. The girl has since turned 18.
Setting up a GoFundMe page to raise money for legal fees to bring him home, Marcus’ family said: ‘What was meant to be a happy time has turned into a nightmare for him, our family, and our friends.
‘This has happened as a result of someone trying to misuse UAE law against him.
‘He is being charged with a crime that could lead to imprisonment for up to 20 years.
He is only 18 years old, very scared, and his mental health is starting to decline.’
Dubai only recently reformed its laws on s£x outside of marriage for tourists, but upholds a strict Islamic legal system, and has no firm ruling on age of consent. But under local law, a child is defined as a person under 18 years of age.
The girl was just months away from turning 18 when the pair met in August.
The teenagers were planning to continue their relationship when they returned to London.
But it is understood the mother had found out about their relationship when she went through her daughter’s phone and found their chats and pictures, later sharing them with Dubai police from the safety of the UK.
Marcus had still been on holiday with his family when police suddenly turned up at the hotel and detained him for three days at Al Barsha Police Station.
He is still in Dubai as he fights the case, and the family are hoping to raise £20,000 to help with legal fees, accommodation, and travel costs to come back to the UK.
In a previous GoFundMe page set up two months ago, the family alleged Marcus had been denied a translator and forced to sign a confession document he did not understand.
They said: ‘He has been wrongfully accused of a crime he did not commit, and is now caught in a legal battle in Dubai.
‘This is not just a misunderstanding, it is racial discrimination, with someone seeking to use the UAE law against him.
‘While detained he was denied access to a translator and forced to sign a confession document he didn’t understand. He is only 18 years old, terrified, and very scared.
‘His mental health is deteriorating rapidly.’
