An 18-year-old sentenced to one year in a Dubai jail for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl has been released and is safely in the UK, a campaign group has said.
Marcus was with his parents in Dubai from the end of August last year when a ‘holiday romance blossomed’ with another Londoner, who has since turned 18.
Marcus Fakana, of Tottenham, north London, received a royal pardon from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Detained in Dubai said.
The group’s chief executive, Radha Stirling, said Mr Fakana “is currently recovering”, adding in a statement: “His case has attracted significant public attention due to concerns about the criminalisation of tourists and disproportionate sentencing.
“We believe this case highlights the urgent need for expedited legal processes for foreign nationals and safeguards against unnecessary custodial sentences.”
Mr Fakana was with his parents in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the end of August when a “holiday romance blossomed” with another Londoner, who has since turned 18, the campaign group previously said.
After returning to the UK and seeing pictures and chats, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who then arrested Mr Fakana at his hotel, it is alleged.
In Dubai, if an adult has a sexual relationship with a person under 18, they can be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has been contacted for comment.
When he was first detained, Detained In Dubai, an organisation which represents Marcus, said the teen ‘feels abandoned by the British government’ following the judgement and one year sentence, which it branded ‘an utter disgrace’ and ‘an embarrassment to Britain’. The pressure group also accused Foreign Secretary and Tottenham MP David Lammy of ‘refusing to help’ the teenager.
Speaking to the campaign group when he was detained, MArcus said: “My family and I 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.”
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