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Original poster

Marcus Fakana gets prison sentence in Dubai.

808 replies

Ohnonotmeagain · 11/12/2024 13:56

This is the 18 year old lad who had a holiday romance with a 17 year old girl in Dubai. She was just short of 18.

her parents found out and reported him to the Dubai authorities before he returned home.

his poor parents aren’t well off and had to return home to work leaving him there.

he’s now been sentenced to 1 year in prison.

aibu to think this poor boy should never have been brought before court.

OP posts:
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11
JHound · 11/12/2024 18:40

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 18:28

I wouldn't, personally, out of respect especially if parents have paid for me to accompany them on holiday as an adult. No I wouldn't go looking for sex in that circumstance.

The again, it's not my thing to be having sex with someone I've only just met, or know less than a week, whatever.

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Why do you call it “looking for sex”?
They had a romance and planned to meet up again once back in London.

Why is it “disrespectful” to spark a romance when with your parents on holiday?

Puzzledandpissedoff · 11/12/2024 18:40

If a 40 year old man came to the UK and had sex with a 12 year old girl on the basis that this was legal in his country, he would be prosecuted. And quite rightly so. Where do you draw the line?

A 40 and 12 year old really isn't comparable, @ILoveAnnaQuay, but an 18 and 13 year old may well be when it involves actual rape - so those claiming the UK would jail such an offenderer would do well to look at the case of Adil Rashid, who was freed after claiming his education had left him unable to understand that what he'd done was wrong

FWIW I've no more time for Dubai's approach than anyone else, but before criticising systems elsewhere we should perhaps look to our own

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:39

Dandeliontea123 · 11/12/2024 18:28

Yes, she must have gone to a lot of trouble to contact the police in Dubai. Why do this? There are other ways of showing disapproval.

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This actually keeps him away from
her daughter. That’s likely why she took that option (and was probably hoping he would get the full 20.)

They made plans to meet when back in London. This stopped that plan in its tracks.

SuperfluousHen · 11/12/2024 18:38

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:31

So why wasn’t she extradited to face the law of Dubai too.

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For what crime?

maverickfox · 11/12/2024 18:37

Chroomy · 11/12/2024 15:09

The daughter should be expedited to serve the same sentence.

Don’t be ridiculous. What purpose would that serve?

NeedMorePlasters · 11/12/2024 18:37

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:31

Look in at his photo…I think they would.

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What purely because he's black? Shit is MN really like that?

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 18:35

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:33

Yet biologically more mature in terms of brain development.
She is more guilty in that sense than he is.

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But they're not concerned about that are they, that's not law.

SuperfluousHen · 11/12/2024 18:34

Chroomy · 11/12/2024 15:11

When does the girl get her punishment? She did too.
She just escaped the country before it was reported.

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I don’t think being under age is an offence in that country.

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:34

xyz111 · 11/12/2024 17:59

I'd love to know the mums motives for reporting him. Maybe she's ashamed of her daughter and she can punish the lad. Yes he broke the law, but I can't understand why the mum would want to report him.

Apparently they had made plans to meet when back in London and the mom probably wanted to make sure that would not happen.

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:33

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 18:31

Maybe. But she was a minor, and the victim, according to that country.

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Yet biologically more mature in terms of brain development.
She is more guilty in that sense than he is.

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 18:31

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:31

Plus the 17 year old girl also going on holiday and hiding the relationship from her parents
Wonder if she forgot she was 17 @Real1378262

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Maybe. But she was a minor, and the victim, according to that country.

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:31

StMarie4me · 11/12/2024 18:30

He's a man.
He broke the law.
In a country not known for leniency.
I never went abroad and broke laws.
Did you?

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So why wasn’t she extradited to face the law of Dubai too.

Lentilweaver · 11/12/2024 18:31

Just today, I saw a video on You Tube by a young British man in Dubai, who moved there because it's "a land of opportunity". We really need to educate people who visit or move to Dubai about what can go wrong.
What a terrible thing. Poor young lad. I feel so sorry for him.

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:31

NeedMorePlasters · 11/12/2024 17:29

To all those who believe that he should face jail, would you think the same had he been busted at the airport with a Pret / Costa or similar lemon and poppy seed muffin in his bag?

Look in at his photo…I think they would.

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:31

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:25

Are you not allowed to spark up a romance if you are away with your parents?

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Plus the 17 year old girl also going on holiday and hiding the relationship from her parents
Wonder if she forgot she was 17 @Real1378262

StMarie4me · 11/12/2024 18:30

TiramisuThief · 11/12/2024 14:20

There is some real empathy on this thread isn't there?! My goodness.

The poor lad is a child, have you never done anything inadvisable as a teen?

And for those of you braying about how it's the law - did you look up the laws of the country when you went on holidays as a young person? Of course you didn't. Why would you, he would have trusted it was safe, he was with his parents.

If anyone is to blame they are for not properly researching the destination and telling him what's what.

Really sad situation, I'm relived he's"only" got a year but that could be life changing. God only knows what prisons are like there. I hope somehow he can be released to UK custody.

He's a man.
He broke the law.
In a country not known for leniency.
I never went abroad and broke laws.
Did you?

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 18:28

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:19

How many British 18 year olds heading off on holiday do you think Google the age of consent of the country they are going to…especially if they are having a romance with a 17 year old.

Be honest?

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As far as he was concerned they were both in the same year at school.

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 18:28

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:25

Are you not allowed to spark up a romance if you are away with your parents?

Show quote history

I wouldn't, personally, out of respect especially if parents have paid for me to accompany them on holiday as an adult. No I wouldn't go looking for sex in that circumstance.

The again, it's not my thing to be having sex with someone I've only just met, or know less than a week, whatever.

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:28

SavingTheBestTillLast · 11/12/2024 17:54

I think the girl should have had to go to Dubai for the court case.
Then they could be tried alongside each other

All or nothing
Her Nasty parents waited till they were home first though.

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The girl is not guilty of anything. Only he broke the law. Underaged people aren’t punished for being underaged.

But yes the mother needs to have the world’s worst things happen to her.

Dandeliontea123 · 11/12/2024 18:28

LadyWiddiothethird · 11/12/2024 17:14

The “villain” in this sorry debacle is the Mother of the girl,what a spiteful vile person she must be.

Yes, she must have gone to a lot of trouble to contact the police in Dubai. Why do this? There are other ways of showing disapproval.

StMarie4me · 11/12/2024 18:27

YABU. We expect people visiting the U.K. to respect our laws. We need to afford them the same expectations and abide by their laws.,

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:25

Real1378262 · 11/12/2024 17:47

Yes it is utter ridiculousness, at 18 going on holidays with mummy and daddy, but looking about for a sh*g while there. Lovely.

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Are you not allowed to spark up a romance if you are away with your parents?

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:23

ILoveAnnaQuay · 11/12/2024 18:00

I feel very sorry for him, but he broke the law.

If a 40 year old man came to the UK and had sex with a 12 year old girl on the basis that this was legal in his country, he would be prosecuted. And quite rightly so. Where do you draw the line?

Why are you comparing a 40 year paedophile molesting a pre-pubescent girl to an 18 and 17 year old having a holiday romance?

The fact you cannot think of a more comparable analogy (like a 16 year old having sex with a 15 year old) speaks volumes.

JHound · 11/12/2024 18:19

Gonnagetgoingreturnsagain · 11/12/2024 17:56

I do have empathy but at 18 years old you are an adult not a child. Of course people of this age do stupid things but he shouldn’t have done what he did or googled it first.

The Dubai authorities are making an example of him disobeying their laws.

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How many British 18 year olds heading off on holiday do you think Google the age of consent of the country they are going to…especially if they are having a romance with a 17 year old.

Be honest?

Goldenbear · 11/12/2024 18:16

Hoppinggreen · 11/12/2024 18:13

I have a lot of sympathy for this young man and his family.
British people need to understand that other countries aren't just England but hotter, there are different laws and customs that have to be abided by.

Yes and people in the UK at least, are able to criticise that.