An 18-year-old British man, who was sentenced to a year in prison in Dubai for having sex with a 17-year-old British girl, has urged the emirate’s ruler “to let me go home”.
Marcus Fakana, from north London, had a holiday romance in September with a girl, now aged 18, also from London.
But the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police after returning to the UK and seeing pictures and messages between the pair.
Having sex with a person under 18 years of age is illegal in Dubai. Both teenagers were on holiday with their parents from the UK, where the age of consent is 16.
Speaking in temporary accommodation while on bail, Fakana, from Tottenham, told the campaign group Detained in Dubai that he and his family are “devastated and in shock”.
“I never intended to break the law. It didn’t occur to me at the time and for that, I’m sorry. I am asking His Highness, Sheikh Mohammed al Maktoum to please forgive me and pardon me.
“Let me go home. Please give me my life back,” the BBC reported.
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Meanwhile, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “The prime minister recognises it’s an extremely distressing situation for Marcus and his family.”
“The Foreign Office is in regular contact with his family and his legal team at this difficult time.”
The government of Dubai previously said: “Under UAE law, the girl is legally classified as a minor, and in accordance with 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.”
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Radha Stirling, Detained in Dubai’s chief executive, said in a social media post that the sentence was an “utter disgrace” and “an embarrassment to Britain”, adding that “the UK has prioritised trade deals over people’s lives”.
“The Labour government should be ashamed they have not secured the freedom of a teenage tourist. It wasn’t a difficult job.”
