Londoner, 18, sentenced to a year in Dubai prison over 'holiday romance' with 17-year-old girl

An 18-year-old Londoner has been ordered to serve a year in prison in Dubai after a ‘holiday romance’ with a girl who had been 17 at the time. Marcus Fakana was charged by Dubai authorities after having an alleged “holiday romance” with a 17-year-old staying at the same hotel, with whom he planned to carry on a relationship with on their return home. Radha Sterling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: “Marcus feels abandoned by the British government and Keir Starmer who just spent the weekend in the UAE.”

An 18-year-old has been ordered to serve a year in in after a ‘ ’ with a girl who had been 17 at the time. Marcus Fakana was charged by Dubai authorities after having an alleged “holiday romance” with a 17-year-old staying at the same hotel, He's expected to appeal against his sentence. Radha Sterling, the CEO of Detained in Dubai, said: “Marcus feels abandoned by the British government and Keir Starmer who just spent the weekend in the UAE.

” She added: “He was desperately hoping to come home this week but prosecutorial mishandling in the first stages of the case meant it wasn’t heard as a misdemeanour when it should have been. “The family have issued a plea to Dubai ruler, HH Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum to spare Marcus for consensual sex with another British citizen.” A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson previously said: “We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family.

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