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.

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

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

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

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

For what crime?

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.

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

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?

This. If it had happened in this country she wouldn't have a leg to stand on. The fact she went to all that trouble to contact Dubai authorities speaks absolute volumes about what kind of person she is.

I actually do feel sorry for him and don't think it's an appropriate sentence, but he is not a child. You can't just make up facts to suit your own viewpoint.
In Dubai and the UK he is legally an adult. He's old enough to work full time, join the army, take out a mortgage, drink, etc.
He obviously considered himself physically and mentally old enough to have sex.
He might not be as mentally mature or experienced as an older adult, but he still is, and was, by all measures and laws, an adult, and she was a child. If that wasn't the case the whole thing wouldn't be happening.

How do you know you never broke a law? Is you do a detailed research of every law on record for every country you have been to?

Purely depends on one's personal morals and relationship with their parents.

Was she being disrespectful to her parents too though?

You draw the line and two people of virtually the same, almost adult, age deciding they want to have sex. Perfectly normal behaviour. This nonsense about 12 years olds and adults is really quite pathetic, that is rape, obviously. And completely irrelevant.

I hope someone does out the Mum, even at the expense of the girl.

No idea. You tell me, was she?

She said the sex was consensual
She knew she was 17, he didn’t
She had consensual sex at age 17 in a country that doesn’t allow that.

Now
We might say but she’s underage so it’s irrelevant and that’s the law in Dubai but as this is being discussed here on MN we are allowed to discuss …..Is that right ? ?
So
She knew what she was doing and agreed to it mutually with the boy

If one has to face jail I believe so should the other.
We re not talking about a ten year old here. She was a few weeks away from 18.

It may not be the way Dubai do it but I believe thats wrong ( obv I disagree with it anyway )
Punish both or neither.

And 18 and 13 year old still is not comparable to this case. We are talking about two teens in the same year at school.

I can hand on my heart say that had this been my daughter and I could see from talking to her about daft choices which could have dreadful consequences once we were home, while I may not be happy with her the last thing I would do is go to the trouble of alerting the Dubai authorities.

What can be gained from doing it especially if genuinely you didn't know until you get home?

Like many have said he's not 30 years old and clearly a sexual predator.

It crossed my mind that maybe the mother had an arranged marriage in mind for her daughter which obviously now won’t happen because her daughter’s no longer a virgin?
The mother sounds so vindictive I wouldn’t want to know what her daughter’s home life is like ☹️

You said he was being disrespectful to his parents for embarking on a holiday romance.

So I am asking if you think it is equally disrespectful for the girl to embark on an holiday romance? It’s your notion - how can I tell you what your notion is. It’s why I am asking.

I agree
What mum would do this
Its very vindictive, how can she even live with herself

I am amazed at the number of people who seem to think the girl must also be guilty of an offence.

If a 15-year-old girl has consensual sex with a 16-year-old boy in this country, he is committing an offence. She is not. The same applies in this case. He committed an offence under the laws of Dubai. She did not. Of course, if their relationship had happened in the UK neither of them would have committed an offence.

I am appalled at the mother's actions in reporting this. Looks vindictive to me. I am also appalled that Dubai thinks it appropriate to imprison him for having consensual sex with a girl a few weeks younger than him. In the UK, we wouldn't even prosecute a 16-year-old for having consensual sex with a 15-year-old, let alone send them to prison.

Didn't mention the words 'holiday romance' or disrespectful.

What's your notion?

Doesn’t work like that with age of consent laws. It is not the minor breaking the law as they are deemed to be a victim. And that’s logical. You cannot prosecute somebody for being a victim (in the eyes of the law).
Technically a minor cannot “consent” to sex.

Good point @JHound
His parents knew about the romance. He wasn’t lying about it

She lied the whole time about it to her parents

Who is coming off worse here me thinks