British Teen Jailed in Dubai After Relationship With 17-Year-Old Londoner Sparks Legal Battle

An 18-year-old British Teen, Marcus Fakana, has been sentenced to one year in a Dubai prison after having sex with a 17-year-old girl from London whom he met during a family holiday.

The case, reported by Detained in Dubai and confirmed by TMZ, highlights the strict legal codes in the UAE despite recent reforms aimed at modernizing its image.

Marcus, who hails from Tottenham, was arrested while staying with his family at a hotel in Dubai.

His relationship with the girl, now 18, developed secretly during their trip, as her family’s strict values prevented her from disclosing the romance.

Following the family’s return to the UK, the girl’s mother filed a complaint with Dubai authorities, triggering Marcus’s arrest.

In a statement to Detained in Dubai, Marcus explained: “We really liked each other, but she was secretive with her 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.”

The situation escalated when police appeared at Marcus’s hotel in August. “I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened, and my parents were terrified,” he recalled.

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, pointed out significant issues with the handling of Marcus’s case. “Marcus did plead guilty, but police and prosecutors had a disturbing litany of details in his file which ended up making it more than a misdemeanour and heard in a higher court,” she told the Mail. Stirling noted incorrect claims that Marcus was over 19 and of Pakistani origin, despite his British citizenship. “There were a lot of errors deliberately to torment him,” she added.

Marcus has been detained since September and was hopeful to return home soon, but procedural mishandling meant the case was escalated rather than treated as a minor offense.

Stirling shared her frustration on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Marcus feels abandoned by the British government and Keir Starmer, who just spent the weekend in the UAE.”

Marcus plans to appeal his sentence, but the case underscores ongoing concerns over the UAE’s strict legal environment, which is influenced by Shariah law. Despite recent efforts to relax regulations to attract tourists and investors, the country’s legal system remains rigid.

Stirling also referenced the case of Ryan Cornelius, another British citizen who has been imprisoned in Dubai for 16 years. After completing a 10-year sentence, his term was controversially extended by 20 years in 2018, meaning he is now set for release in 2038.

Ryan’s family has criticised the UK government for failing to intervene, claiming that Foreign Secretary David Lammy did not address Ryan’s case during a recent visit to the UAE.

Marcus’s case has drawn renewed attention to the risks British citizens face in the UAE and the perceived lack of support from the UK government in such legal battles.