Londoner, 18, Facing 20-Year Jail Sentence In Dubai Over Holiday Romance With 17-Year-Old Girl

👉 Courtesy: Sky News
😠 A British teenager is facing up to 20 years in jail for allegedly having sex with a 17-year-old in Dubai.

Marcus Fakana, 18, was on holiday with his parents in August when he met a fellow Londoner staying at the same hotel and a “holiday romance” blossomed, according to human rights group Detained in Dubai. The pair had plans to continue their relationship when they returned to London.

He was later charged with sex with a girl aged 17 after the girl's mother allegedly reported their relationship to the police after discovering conversations with Fakana on her daughter’s phone.

Detained in Dubai said that Fakana had been held “at the notorious Al Barsha police station for three days, unable to make a phone call or speak with his parents” following his arrest.

Fakana’s family holiday had “turned into a months-long ordeal that could lead to 20 years in prison”, the human rights group said. The girl is now 18.

Fakana, from Tottenham, said: “We had a wonderful time together. 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.

“When she left, I couldn’t wait to see her again when I got home. Then suddenly, police knocked on our hotel door. They said they were taking me in for questioning but wouldn't tell me why. I couldn’t imagine what for. I was frightened and my parents were terrified”.