An 18-year-old from the UK could be jailed for up to 20 years in Dubai for having sex with a girl less than a year younger than him.
A short family holiday for Marcus Fakana, from London, has become a months-long nightmare following a short romance with a 17-year-old girl who was staying at the same hotel.
The British government is now being urged to intervene on behalf of the Fakana family, the BBC reports.
The 18-year-old’s ordeal began in September when the girl’s mother spotted photos and social media chats of their romance and reported the relationship to Dubai police.
The girl has since turned 18, according to human rights group Detained in Dubai.
Marcus said the couple planned to continue their romance when they returned to the UK.
“We had a wonderful time together. We really liked each other but she was secretive with her (British-Indian) family because they were strict,” he told Radha Stirling, of Detained in Dubai.
“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 was arrested by police at the hotel where he was staying with his parents.
“They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn’t tell me why,” he said.
“I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified.”
He was held at the notorious Al Barsha police station for three days, unable to make a phone call or speak with his parents.
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The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office told the BBC it was supporting a British man in the United Arab Emirates and was in contact with his family.
Marcus’ parents who work as warehouse cleaners were “worried sick” by their son’s detention, according to Stirling.
She says the Briton could face up to 20 years in jail owing to the country’s strict laws about sex outside marriage.
“Dubai has only recently legalised out-of-wedlock sex for tourists but still hosts a strict Islamic legal system,” said Stirling.
“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.”
Marcus and his family are calling on the British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who is also their local MP, to help them.
The teenager is no longer being held in a police cell but is unable to leave Dubai.
His family have been hit with bills of £2000 ($3900) for Airbnb accommodation until the resolution of his case.
