Marcus Fakana gets prison sentence in Dubai.

[Ohnonotmeagain]

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.

He broke the law over there. That's the punishment.

I wish Dubai would just send him home, they gain nothing keeping him in jail. I really resent the family that reported this to authorities, they are disgusting.

And that is why I would never go to Dubai. He got off lightly by their standards.

Its awful, I feel for him and his family.

This is why I would never go to places such as these, that and its tacky as hell.

Feel awful for him. Don't go to Dubai

I'm sorry but when you travel abroad you should know the really big obvious cultural differences that are well-documented. Age of consent and when sex is legal are the first things you should check before travelling and having sex. It's very well known that extramarital sex or premarital sex is forbidden in UAE. For another example, if he'd done it in the US he could have been prosecuted for statutory rape. Her parents were twats though.

I'm relieved it isn't longer. But yes it's a horrible story, I can't imagine what the girl's mum was thinking in reporting this (other than obviously being motivated by spite).

Pre marital sex is not illegal.
Having sex with someone under age of consent is. It's simple aa that.

On one hand, it seems ridiculous.

On the other hand... if a foreigner had committed a crime against a woman in the UK, that wasn't a crime in their home country, there would be outcry if he was just deported.

So we can't have it both ways.

I've just checked and this changed since 2020. I last went in 2019. 🙄 So he had fewer laws to follow than we did when we went and basically he's in the same boat as if he had done the same thing in the US or many other countries where age of consent is 18. I have even less sympathy than when I first posted.

So did the girl. But the spiteful mother made sure she was well clear of the country first. I hope the girl sees how vindictive her mother is.

He broke the law of that country, but the family of the woman are at fault here. I guess she's now estranged from them.

The girl is considered a victim. So not really.
Like do you consider arresting 14 year old in UKif she has sex with16 year old or is it just the 16 year old who is in trouble. Samw principle.

A lot of western nations have "Romeo and Juliet" laws

He broke the law. I don’t see what the outrage is for

@Glittertwins no, she didn't. Pre marital sex in Dubai is not illegal. It's the having sex with a person who is classed as a minor that is illegal. He's the only one who broke the law. Just as if someone here had underage sex with an older person that person would be convicted of statutory rape, not the person underage. It's the same, just their consequences are harsher.

What do you mean his parents aren't well off, they were well off to go on holiday to Dubai, it isn't Butlins?

Great, absolutely no bearing on this tho. Uk doesn't afaik

Little sympathy for anyone who travels to Dubai - I blame his parents really.

Yanbu. I hope he is pardoned.
Dubai is an awful place and that mother sounds nasty.

Totally agree with @TickingAlongNicely. I do feel very sorry for him though.

But it does have relevance to your previous comment.

Bloody hell. The hate for UAE is so sttong that people argue that getting nicked after having sex with under age of consent person is wrong

When you travel abroad you have to respect their laws however different, ridiculous, or archaic. In this particular case he broke the law, not an ambiguous one, it was clear cut. Would be the same in many other countries although authorities tend to be less inclined to actually prosecute

It does not since UK doesn't have it.
Happy to be corrected that it has