Marcus Fakana hands himself in to authorities and will serve year-long sentence in Dubai’s al-Awir prison. A British teenager has handed himself in to the authorities in Dubai to begin a one-year prison sentence for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, a campaign group has said.
Marcus Fakana, 18, was on holiday with his family in the United Arab Emirates when he met the girl, who is also from London and turned 18 the following month. He was arrested at his hotel and charged after the girl’s mother found their chats and pictures after the family’s return to London and called the Dubai police.
Radha Stirling, the head of campaign group Detained in Dubai, said Fakana had handed himself in to authorities and intended to serve his year-long sentence in Dubai’s al-Awir prison. She wrote on X that the teenager was still hoping for a pardon from Dubai’s ruler, Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, and help from the UK foreign secretary, David Lammy – the family’s MP in Tottenham – and the British embassy.
She said: “I worry about the impact of Dubai prison on an 18-year-old’s life. It wasn’t easy to find the words to say to him as he surrendered his freedom.”. When asked previously about the case, Lammy said Fakana would have “all the support available” from UK officials but that people should “follow the rules” of other countries.
