An 18 year old Tottenham resident’s holiday with his parents has turned into a months-long ordeal that could lead to 20 years in prison after he was charged with sex with woman who was 17 at the time. She's now 18.
Marcus Fakana joined his parents for what was supposed to be a short holiday from the 26th of August. During his vacation, he met a fellow Londoner staying at the same hotel, and a holiday romance blossomed. They tried to spend as much time as they could together during their trip and got along so well, they hoped the romance would continue on their return home.
‘We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her (British-Indian) family because they were strict. My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn’t tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy”, Marcus recalls.
“When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again when I got home. Then suddenly, police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn't tell me why. I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified”.
Marcus was held at the notorious Al Barsha Police Station for three days, unable to make a phone call or speak with his parents. “They were worried sick”, reports Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai who is assisting Marcus. “He was told his girlfriend’s mother had reported the relationship to authorities in Dubai after she had arrived back in London. Marcus later found out the mother had looked on her daughter’s phone and found their chats and pictures. She was furious and reported him to Dubai's police.
“This is clearly a very strict mother to involve police in a private matter that is completely legal in the country where she lives and where the children have grown up. Perhaps she wasn’t aware that she triggered the possibility of a young man of only 18 spending the next 20 years in prison.
“Dubai has only recently legalised out of wedlock sex for tourists but still hosts a strict Islamic legal system. The girl was just a few months younger than Marcus and he didn’t know that at the time. Since his arrest, she has turned 18 and Marcus would not be facing 20 years in jail. This is not something Dubai should be prosecuting.
“Parents will be scared to take their older teenagers on vacation with them where they could end up losing their lives over behaviour that’s completely legal in their own countries”, adds Stirling.
Marcus and his family are calling on local MP, Rt Hon David Lammy for assistance. Ms Stirling, an expert witness herself, says, “Mr Lammy MP was appointed as the Foreign Secretary in July 2024 and is in a perfect position to help young Marcus. Dubai police have the power to drop the case against Marcus 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”.
Marcus told Ms Stirling today, “I’m living in Airbnb’s that are costing my family £2,000 per month. They had to go home to work. 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 of their savings. The police demanded 10,000 AED for bail which I’ve been told is not normal and the costs are mounting. I’m here all alone. I pray this nightmare will be over and I’ll be home for Christmas.
