After six harrowing months behind bars in Dubai, 19-year-old Marcus Fakana is finally back home in the UK. The Tottenham-born teenager, who was imprisoned in the United Arab Emirates for engaging in a consensual relationshipwith a 17-year-old girl, was granted clemency under a royal Eid pardon issued by the Ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Fakana’s story shocked many across the UK last December, when he was sentenced to one year in prison after UAE authorities acted on a report filed by the girl’s mother. Although both teens were British and in the same school year, the UAE’s strict legal system sets the age of consent at 18, regardless of context or consent.
According to Detained in Dubai (DiD), a legal advocacy group that supported Marcus throughout the ordeal, he never imagined a brief summer romance would land him in jail.
“He was overwhelmed when he got the news,” said Radha Stirling, founder of DiD. “For a boy his age to be caught in a legal trap abroad is terrifying. His release felt like a miracle for the family.”
Fakana had been in Dubai on a family holiday in August 2024 when he met the girl, also from London. Unbeknownst to him, she was just a few weeks shy of her 18th birthday. After returning to the UK, her mother discovered private messages and reported the incident to UAE authorities.
“Marcus genuinely believed she was 18. They were in the same school year. It’s hard to see this as anything but a devastating misunderstanding, made worse by laws unfamiliar to most tourists,” Stirling said.
Fakana was arrested, charged, and sentenced under UAE’s morality laws, sparking outrage among human rights groups and concern among British families with loved ones in the Gulf country.
“This case underscores the importance of cultural and legal awareness. What isn’t a crime in the UK can carry severe penalties abroad,” Stirling warned. “Something as simple as a relationship, a drink, or a post on social media can change a young life forever in the UAE.”
According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, Fakana received full consular support during his incarceration and quietly returned home last week following his release—choosing to avoid public appearances as he focuses on reuniting with his loved ones and beginning to heal.
“His family is just over the moon to have him back early,” Stirling said. “Now begins the long journey of emotional recovery from an ordeal that should never have happened in the first place.”
As the dust settles, Fakana’s case serves as a cautionary tale—and a reminder that youthful innocence doesn’t always protect against the harshest consequences, especially when abroad.
