British teen, 18, jailed in Dubai over 'holiday romance' with fellow tourist returns home after royal pardon
An 18-year-old man 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.
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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.”
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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.
Marcus Fakana, from North London, was sentenced to a one-year prison term in the UAE after a holiday romance with the teenage girl, who is now also 18, was reported to police by her mother.
The Tottenham-born teenager handed himself over to authorities in Dubai after he was sentenced to the prison term - with Mr Fakana serving out his term at the notorious Al Awir maximum security prison.
The teen had previously pleaded with the emirate's ruler to "let me go home" after his sentence was handed down, admitting his family were "devastated and in shock."
In a message posted before entering prison, the student wrote: "Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout my fight."
The harsh conditions in the notorious jail led the teenager to rest his hopes on the possibility of a humanitarian pardon from Dubai’s ruler.
After his plea for clemency, Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai said: "This has been the most traumatic and life-altering experience imaginable for Marcus.
"He is barely an adult himself, and never intended to break any law. What happened was legal in the UK and consensual.
"But now he is facing permanent damage to his mental health and future prospects because of it."
It was reported by the charity that the teenager was only able to call his family sporadically, with the isolation said to have negatively impacted him mentally and emotionally.
Following the conviction, the teenager was expected to appeal the verdict, however, he instead chose to hand himself in to authorities to avoid further extending his already lengthy legal ordeal.
An appeal in the UAE could have seen the teenager handed an even harsher jail sentence.