Marcus Fakana gets prison sentence in Dubai.

When you go to places like Dubai you need to know the law and you need to follow the law regardless of what you think of the law. The fact that if it happened in the UK the outcome would be different is irrelevant.

The fact that her parents reported it is really not an issue. They were both in Dubai and a law was broke, They informed the Police to uphold the law of Dubai which whether we agree or not was their right.

This is why tourists need to educate themselves on the Laws of the Country they are visiting and obey them and not expect special treatment because they are from the UK/EU/USA etc.

I am not a fan of Dubai, but different countries do have different laws - US v UK etc and it is best to check before you go there. In England until recently you could marry at 16 and that has now been changed to 18 (although if you go up to Scotland you can get married at 18) . Things change all the time - best to avoid casual sex on holiday - never a good idea.

Yes, definitely that freedom and fairness, proportionality is not sadly the legal system in place in many of these severe countries.

yes but an 18 year old wouldn't know that. They were probably in a tourist hotel full of westerners, with everyone acting the same as they would back home. He likely wouldn't have noticed any strict rules unless they went into the old town and markets for the day.

The offence in Dubai is under age sex.

She's above the age of criminal responsibility there, and she broke the law by consenting to extramarital sex. The person who they have extramarital sex with is also committing an offence.

It is not the same as UK. That is why the UK comparison is worthless here.

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

That was 7 or so years ago and laws have massively changed.

He broke the law. Ignorance is not a defence.

What happens if 2 married 17yo uk nationals go on their honeymoon to Dubai? I assume both imprisoned if it was thought they’d had sex?

Completely agree with this.

devastating for the boy and the family. Of course it is. But that’s THE LAW in the country he visited.

I wish the UK was as forceful with insisting our own customs and laws were followed here.

The daughter should be expedited to serve the same sentence.

Yes but the fact that is so specific i.e had an alcoholic drink in a different context like on an aeroplane and then get jailed - no thank you, that is absurd and completely illogical.

Nope, the equivalent situation would be a 15yo tourist having sex with a 15yo tourist. Both of these two were 17yo at the time.

The poor boy and his family. She was 17, nearly 18 and he was 18. Different if he was 30 perhaps.

If they’d been at home would they have called the police? Course not, because they’d get told off for wasting police time.

Fancy reporting him, what did they gain from that? Awful.

The most disgusting part of this are the parents of the girl. She had a consensual relationship with a guy of a similar age that would be perfectly legal in the UK. Yet they decided to report him to the Dubai authorities knowing he could end up in jail. I hope karma comes from them.

He broke the law. His parents should have drummed it in to him what the laws are like out there and as he was 18 it should have been on his mind to research before going on holiday.

You absolutely can't hold hands in public, not according to UK Foreign Office, why would you spout falsehoods, very irresponsible of you.

The drinking is very very ambiguous and I personally wouldn't gamble my freedom on a drink like the person who got arrested on the Emirates flight.

Do we know anything about the context of this mother's disclosure? I haven't read anything about it. It seems that people are quick to jump to the conclusion that it was malicious or spiteful yet she might be privy to information which is not being reported on.

We all make mistakes, especially as teenagers. Luckily most of them are minor and don't land us in prison. Sometimes they do. It's a harsh sentence but it's their law.

I think it was terrible of the girl's mother to report this to the Dubai police . She can't have been unaware of the serious consequences for him in that country. Yes he should have been cautioned maybe juvenile prison here . But a teenager , alone in a foreign country jail with such a bad reputation for human rights is just so wrong . For having a holiday romance? Not coercive and consenting .

yes, you can drink in all tourist hotels and restaurants

I’m actually very lucky that I live semi rurally. But if I travel in to the town or the city it’s not safe - or it feels unsafe. The North West

Yes. Except Sharjah. Dry

You can drink in hotels and at bars. There is a big party scene - even ladies nights where women drink for free. But drunken louts will not be tolerated in the streets. You will get absolutely fucked if you have ANY kind of drug on you.

You can hold hands in public - you can even walk round in a bikini by the pool or beach.

It's the same place a woman was arrested after reporting that she was raped. Women who report domestic abuse are sometimes arrested.

It's a dangerous place to visit. It's all well and good if you don't find yourself locked up.

I went there before it became a tourist magnet, and I now feel that I shouldn't have. It is a very cruel regime, that treats certain "classes" of immigrant workers as sub-human.

My goodness I would be terrified for her. Where do you live that is si hostile in the UK.