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.

None of them would or could prosecute an 18 year old for sex with an almost 18 year old.

You don't expect other people to know what went on in your hotel bedroom let alone be reported for it.

I don't know whether they would, but the four states in question clearly could as that is the law in those states. The age of consent is 18 and there is no exception where ages are close.

Why discernment from his parents when they are two teens of a similar age? Both on the cusp of adulthood?

Why are his parents being blamed for her choice?

More fool his family for not doing the proper research and buying into the endless SM bs about Dubai. If you want to point the finger than look no further than his family.

I don’t do twitter or anything. Just the news and MN for me. I saw it on an image when I googled.

I suspected it was inflammatory. Just wondering if anyones seen anything official in the news. I haven’t

because they were 18 and 17. So no one thinks he’s some kind of paedo

Don’t go on holiday to Dubai I guess. I went once for work, it felt safe sure but so many legal pitfalls.

Remember when the guy was sentenced to 4 years because there was a speck of cannabis stuck to the bottom of his shoe? Something smaller than a grain of sugar sent him to prison (they did let him out early but still….). That could happen to anyone.

The kid has been very unlucky - I find it bizarre that Dubai is seen as a fun tourist destination.

Remember when the guy was sentenced to 4 years because there was a speck of cannabis stuck to the bottom of his shoe? Something smaller than a grain of sugar sent him to prison (they did let him out early but still….). That could happen to anyone

See this is what grinds my gear. You get all kinds of sex trafficking and abuse of migrant workers but then they act all sanctimonious and apply the law randomly and punitively when stuff like this happens.

And yes that could happen to anyone. I’ve never taken drugs in my life, and I don’t even smoke or drink but these things can happen to anyone ! I was coming from back to London from abroad once as a teen and someone stuck a tiny sachet of white powder in my suitcase.

To this day I don’t know who it was or exactly where/why it happened but I’m just thankfully it wasn’t detected in the airport . I showed it to my more “experienced” friends who said it was drugs. It was such a small amount but I suspect in Dubai they’d have come down hard on me unless I’m related to some kind of royalty /super rich.

And in neither scenario would the British authorities or Press be remotely interested.

He is lucky to only get a year. When you travel to foreign countries you have to respect their laws and customs.

My wife worked with that guy. He didn't show up for work one day and no one knew why. Turned out he was passing through the airport, swabbed him and they found a tiny crumb of weed within the tread of his shoe. He had been to a party the night before and had trodden in it. They threw the book at him. You can get arrested for carrying ibuprofen like the US navy vet who in September faces 3 years for having ibuprofen and prescription CBD oil in his luggage for a degenerative joint disease.

Anyone going to Dubai on holiday must tell their travel companions that under the veneer of western extravagance it is basically an unpleasant, strict country and it's archaic laws reflect that. It isn't Magaluf where anything goes.

Feel sorry for this boy but someone should've told him yes the malls and hotels are all lovely but always, always be on your best behaviour.

What 😧!

That still doesn't change the fact that everyone knows what prostitution involves, we don't need vulgar references to, 'holes'!

I feel so sorry for him and his family. Yes, they were insane for going to a country where you can be detained and imprisoned for looking sideways at the wrong person, but he’s eighteen. Have a look at your own eighteen year olds; would you trust any of them to research laws and local customs and culture before going off on holiday with their mates? Eighteen year olds aren’t known for their forward planning, research and critical thinking skills. And even if he’d known it was against the law, it would be a very unusual teenager who would have stopped in case he ended up in prison.

The girl’s mother should be ashamed of herself. If he’d hurt her daughter, then fair enough, throw the book at him. But to risk his safety for something completely consensual and legal in the country she lived in was a wicked thing to do.

You can feel sorry for him - but he is an adult and he broke the law in another country. Dubai is a repressive place, not a playground where you can do everything you can in the UK but pay no tax.

I question the parents or young man’s choice to use media and racism to try to influence the Dubai legal system.

Dubai was never going to allow him to be acquitted or not guilty. He was likely always going to get 6 mos to a year. I base this on my familiarity with another young man( a “white” boy & very similar circumstance. His name is not public, and think it’s lucky for him. )

Marcus’ name & face is out there forever … the little schoolboy photo …. It will be difficult to put this in the past. Employers might just choose to not hire.

IMO - making him a public figure for breaking law in another country, no matter how different law is from UK, was a mistake. Dubai was never going to make an exception for him, to set a precedent. The current law was made in 2022, Dubai clearly made careful considerations for this recently changed law, were not going to make an exception.

I went away with one of my sons last month and I had to tell him all kinds of things like it is illegal to wear camouflage trousers or jacket there. It can be complicated going abroad.

Some laws in the Uk are unfair too - we are not perfect here but I certainly agree with people on this thread who are basically say you you CAN have objective morally and legally better laws than some other countries do and it is not all relative. English law is better than a bunch of other places abroad including Dubai

I question the parents or young man’s choice to use media and racism to try to influence the Dubai legal system.

Many people use the media in these situations and in some cases there had been a “positive” outcome - although I can’t say for sure if it was directly related to the media , government intervention or something else.

I don’t know if they mentioned racism but it is being discussed online simply because everyone knows it might play a role. Why shouldn’t it be mentioned??

I do suspect racism might play a role. They treat migrant workers from predominantly black and Asian countries very poorly - it was allegedly noted on his record that he was Pakistani in order that he may receive the worst treatment which shows their hierarchy.

So it’s not a stretch to see how this prejudice could extend to harsher treatment of Black and South Asian people even if they’re of western backgrounds. Anti-Blackness is a common feature of many Arab cultures as well.

Interestingly I just looked up the case involving the man who had a speck of weed found on his sole and was jailed for 4 years, - he was a Black British man! I’m not sure if he had to serve the full sentence. Have googled but can’t see anything more except his initial sentence. Does anyone know?

What the hell? Is that actually real re the speck of dope on a persons sole?

unfortunately yes!

www.standard.co.uk/hp/front/briton-jailed-for-four-years-in-dubai-after-customs-find-cannabis-weighing-less-than-a-grain-of-sugar-under-his-shoe-7294426.html

Not a chance in hell would I ever go to that country. They pay influencers to pretend it’s a great place but no. I can buy nice things in sane countries.

Oh, and fuck you to the girls mother. What kind of evil must run through her heart to do that to someone’s child? I hope she can’t sleep through guilt and karma kicks her on the arse.

Fuck that. Why would anyone ever go that country??!

Jesus- I can remember going to the Maldives and sweating when my bag was swabbed recalling my the boyfriend rolling a joint on it in Amsterdam.

my husband once got quickly questioned at an airport after they found traces of explosives on his trainers but the said he had most likely picked something up on the street.

I think it’s about time the UK government warned against trips to Dubai.