Marcus Fakana gets prison sentence in Dubai.

It’s an appalling place with awful laws. If you go there you become subject to those awful laws. If you’re willing ignore that to go on holiday there don’t be surprised if it comes back to bite you in the ass.

Sex outside of marriage when unmarried is NOT a crime.
She commited no crime.

Extramarital is generally used for when at least one is married. Common use. I take the note though. Thanks

You couldn't pay me to go back to Dubai. Been a few times and it's the hypocrisy of the Emirati's that is mind-blowing. Fair play he broke a law but if the UAE is so holier than thou, why is it still a major hub for human and sex trafficking? I was shocked at how many prostitutes I saw - I'm sure many were not 18! In other countries it wouldn't bother me as much - what people want to do with their bodies is up to them, but the fact that you just know this isn't their choice really upset me. How can you make an example of one person and yet pretend that the bigger problem doesn't exist? If it's so strict - why do the police turn a blind eye? I guess because it keeps people working and living their.

Even on this thread there is confusion, for example, the foreign office state no hand holding in public (is It even allowed in private 🙄), a poster said that is not true. What about Alcohol and the person who was arrested in Dubai on an Emirates flight after purchasing alcohol. It is really confusing, illogical and the best solution IMO is not to go at all!!

I feel really sorry for him, poor boy

This is a really tricky one for Dubai - for too long they have been straddling the line between what is acceptable in their culture and appealing to and appeasing the western tourists that flock there - how they handle this really sets a tone going forward because I suspect a lot of people will be put off going there.

as for other countries consent laws are designed to protect the young from predators and age gaps - not a close age where one is slightly above and one slightly below

as for the US comparison given how easily accepted Beyoncé/Jay Z and Aaliyah R Kelly I am guessing not much

His parents took him on holiday to dubai, he and they knew she was sneaking around and not allowed to be dating. why not just send her back to her parents?

why take your newly 18 year old to somewhere with all these potential hurdles, or at least make sure to keep him safe. And then he was left there to deal with it all on his own.

It his parents fault, but we have a foreign office i n=don't get why they haven't negotiated to get him home. Kier is in the UAE right now ffs and charles met the king of qatar last week.

british governments are content to let their citizens rot abroad while moaning about sovereignty, even in countries we have normal relations with, its baffling.

@LoveIsLikeAFartIfYouHaveToPushItsUsuallyShit

Extramarital means outside of marriage, not just cheating when married.

Any sex outside of a marriage set up (even two people who are a long term couple but not married) is considered extramarital sex.

That poor lad will be in real danger. That girl's mother is a nasty, vindictive piece of work. Racism figures very highly in this whole thing. Shameful.
Yes I would have told my sons about the laws in Dubai, but this lad's parents may not have known. They must be absolutely frantic.

Generally speaking if the resident of country A goes to country B where laws are different and breaks the law, would you expect them to be punished?
Not considering the actions of the mother in this.

The mother of the girl is the one who did wrong here. Vile to report him.

My friend got pregnant at 14 with a 17 year old. It was consensual.

The UK authorities didn't do anything to them.

I’ve never researched the laws before going on holiday somewhere, but then I’ve never gone somewhere like Dubai.

I think a lot of people on this thread have forgotten what it is to be a teenager about to have sex. No youngster is going to say ‘hold on a minute there. I know we are in the privacy of our hotel room and you have given consent but I, just going to google if I might get arrested.’

Neither of them 2 were married???

In California, the age of consent is 18, so 18 not that unusual.

I feel sorry for him
and I feel sorry for the girl who has to live with a mother like this.

Smug as

No - it is the act of having extramarital sex, if you are under age or if the other person is under age. Both are offences

You see the girls mum? She’s wicked and vindictive as fuck. Shame on her

He's 18. Is there any reason to think that his general knowledge and powers of reasoning are far worse than that of the vast majority other 18yos- who absolutely would know that it wasn't business as usual in Dubai?

Is the race of the girl known? Is that a factor here?

Glad I'm not the only one who is sympathetic to this young man's plight. Did he know the girl was underage? Did he know the law there? Did he fully understand the legal process over there?
I feel so sorry for him, left in a prison among foreign strangers in appalling conditions. He must.be very frightened.
.l hope our embassy can help him in some way. He is just a kid.

It is sex WITH underage person. She commited no crime.
Unmarried sex is not a a crime.

Yes, so it's a false sense of security that's why I would never go there or let my DC go there.

No, they'll be fine. The laws are specifically for extramarital intercourse.

Anyone who is legally married, of whatever age, is not committing an offence provided the person they have sex with is their own spouse.