Marcus Fakana, from north London, was on holiday with his family where he met a young girl from London, who was 17 at the time but is now 18.

An 18-year-old London man faces up to 20 years in prison in the United Arab Emirates after having sex with a 17-year-old girl.

Marcus Fakana, from north London, was on holiday with his family where he met a young girl from London, who was 17 at the time but is now 18.

They began a secret affair over the holidays in September this year. “We really loved each other, but she was secretive with her family because she was strict,” Marcus Fakana said, according to reports.

“My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn’t talk to him. She must have met me without telling them it was to see a boy, he added.

The couple planned to continue their relationship in London after the girl returned from vacation.

However, Fakana was unexpectedly arrested by Dubai Police at his family’s hotel, without explanation. He was detained for three days without contacting his parents.

Reports suggest the arrest followed a complaint from the girl’s mother, who discovered their conversations and photos after returning to the UK. She reported the matter to Dubai authorities, leading to Fakana’s arrest.

‘Sex outside of marriage permitted if over 18′

Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained, which campaigns against individual injustice in Dubai, highlighted the situation, saying: “Dubai recently legalized extramarital sex for tourists, but it remains subject to a strict Islamic legal framework. Sex outside of marriage is only permitted if both parties are over 18.

She added: “The girl involved was only a few months younger than Marcus (Fakana) at the time, and he did not know her age. Since her arrest, she has been 18 years old. This is not something Dubai should pursue in court.

Stirling highlighted the widespread public backlash, saying: “This case has gone viral because people find it fundamentally unfair. It is shocking that a measure that is completely legal in the UK could result in a 20-year prison sentence in Dubai.”

The teenager’s parents, who work as a cleaner and in a warehouse in London, are deeply upset. They have returned to the UK to return to work, but are struggling to cope with the current crisis. Fakana is no longer in police custody but remains stranded in Dubai, with his family facing costs of £2,000 for temporary accommodation.

“It was supposed to be a one-off vacation, but now all my family’s savings have been exhausted,” Fakana said via Detained in Dubai.

The family appealed to their local MP and Foreign Minister David Lammy to intervene. A spokesperson for the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) confirmed it was providing support and maintaining contact with Fakana’s family.

Stirling criticized the UAE’s lack of transparency towards tourists, saying: “The UAE markets itself to Westerners with cheap flights and PR campaigns, but offers little in the way of warnings about potential legal risks. The FCDO website does not provide sufficiently detailed advice.

The FCDO guidelines state: “If a person aged 18 or over has a sexual relationship with someone under 18, they will be prosecuted for having a relationship with a minor. » Although consensual sex between people over 18 is generally legal in the UAE, the laws remain strict.

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