Home Australia British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a fellow UK tourist spends his birthday behind bars after seeing in 2025 in solitary confinement

British teenager jailed in Dubai for having sex with a fellow UK tourist spends his birthday behind bars after seeing in 2025 in solitary confinement

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Marcus Fakana, 19, had a week-long holiday affair with a girl, also British, but was arrested and detained after his mother complained to Dubai police. Now he has been imprisoned

A British teenager who was jailed in Dubai for having sex with another UK tourist spent his birthday behind bars after ringing in the new year in solitary confinement.

Marcus Fakana, now 19 from Tottenham, was 18 when he was arrested for having sex with a 17-year-old London girl while on holiday with his parents in the United Arab Emirates city in August.

The girl was just a month shy of her 18th birthday, but sex with anyone under 18 is a crime in the Gulf state.

After spending New Year’s in solitary confinement, Fakana was prevented from speaking to his family as he turned 19 at al-Awir men’s maximum security central prison, which houses death row inmates, murderers, terrorists and violent gangsters.

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‘The 19-year-old has been able to telephone his family. He’s holding on.’

Al-Awir is known for its overcrowded conditions, where inmates often fall ill while 20 people are crammed into a cell designed to hold only three or four people.

Prisoners have previously claimed to have been tortured to obtain confessions and rape is reportedly an “everyday occurrence”, carried out by both inmates and guards.

Marcus Fakana, 19, had a week-long holiday affair with a girl, also British, but was arrested and detained after his mother complained to Dubai police. Now he has been imprisoned

Radha Stirling, founder of the British-based aid group Detained In Dubai, said Fakana spent the New Year in isolation and his birthday in Dubai jail.

Radha Stirling, founder of the British-based aid group Detained In Dubai, said Fakana spent the New Year in isolation and his birthday in Dubai jail.

Fakana began his secret Christmas romance in August with the girl who was then just a couple of weeks away from turning 18.

They were reportedly planning to continue their relationship when they returned to London.

But the girl’s mother reportedly found contraceptive pills, photographs and chats upon her return to the UK and informed Dubai police, who arrested Fakana at her hotel.

Following his arrest, activists have said it is “scandalous” that the Foreign Secretary appears unwilling to help them.

Detained in Dubai, a campaign group working closely with the family of Marcus Fakana, asked David Lammy to raise the case through diplomatic channels after the construction apprentice was sentenced last month.

But the Foreign Secretary, who also serves as MP for Fakana’s north London constituency, said Britons should “play by the rules” of other countries.

Detained in Dubai criticized the statement as false.

He said: ‘It is outrageous to withdraw from the case. He (Lammy) clearly did not want to help or have those conversations with the Dubai government.

“It seems absolutely fine to see a young British tourist jailed for having sex with someone who was a month shy of his 18th birthday, simply saying he had to follow the law.”

Marcus is pictured with his family who have been fighting to have the teenager released.

Marcus is pictured with his family who have been fighting to have the teenager released.

Pictured is al-Awir high-security central prison, where Fakana will serve his sentence. The jail houses some of Dubai's worst criminals, including murderers, terrorists and rapists.

Pictured is al-Awir high-security central prison, where Fakana will serve his sentence. The jail houses some of Dubai’s worst criminals, including murderers, terrorists and rapists.

The family of London Tottenham's Marcus Fakana have been left devastated by his prison sentence, sources have claimed.

The family of London Tottenham’s Marcus Fakana have been left devastated by his prison sentence, sources have claimed.

Protesters march in Westminster demanding Fakana's release on January 4, 2025.

Protesters march in Westminster demanding Fakana’s release on January 4, 2025.

It comes after lawyer David Haigh, who is advising the Fakana family, warned that Fakana could have his sentence increased by up to 20 years.

If the girl was still in Dubai, she would have been arrested too.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Haigh said: ‘The maximum sentence for a case like this is 20 years.

‘You always see that the prosecutor really decides the sentence, but this was a low sentence for them.

‘The worry is that they don’t want to let this go and appear weak. They may want to demonstrate that they have fully followed the law to all onlookers.

Marcus will hardly participate in any prosecutorial appeals.

‘You will not be allowed to speak or address the judge and everything will be in Arabic anyway. There will be no translator.

“They’ll probably shove him into court for a minute and then take him out again.”

And he added: “The next few days will be full of difficulties.”

Marcus and his family now await forgiveness from the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum.

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