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.

You are being ridiculous surely you see that. He is barely an adult. Do you genuinely think that there is something disturbing about an 18 year old and a 17 year old having a fling?

Or that a three month age gap makes for a material difference in maturity?

They are both Londoners and in London this would not be a crime.

I do judge anyone who goes on holiday to the UAE, but they were both teenagers who went on holiday with their parents, so would not have had a say in the holiday destination.

No, I don't think there is anything disturbing about it. It is still true to say that he's a man.

He will have to man up to through a year in one of their jails. 40c

Me either. This is one of the reasons you stay away from Dubai. Their laws. I thought it would be longer, luckily not.

Couldn’t pay me to go on holiday to Dubai

The crime is an adult (18) having sex with a minor (17). It's a horrible outcome for the young man concerned. I think because so many UK citizens holiday there, people forget how truly culturally different UAE is.

That’s the thing that’s awful. But a lesson for the lad to learn. Absolutely this girl’s mother was motivated by racism - and this is why you refuse to have any involvement with anybody where you have to “sneak around”.

He probably did not see it that way. Being 18.

What? Sorry? So there we go again another example of their ambiguous laws. People just don't go, don't risk it.

I hope he survives the prison sentence. I hope he doesn't get assaulted or worse.

Their country their laws. You have to obey the laws of the country you are visiting. He is an adult and therefore understands that you can't just do as you please.

Like that Olympian who got sent back to his country and released within a few months for sexually grooming and assaulting a 12/13 year old

Where he is from has nothing to do with it, he broke the laws of the country he was visiting. As an adult he could have refused to visit Dubai.

Well quite. I wouldn’t travel to any of the similar countries. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/latino/mexican-woman-reported-sexual-assault-qatar-faces-jail-100-lashes-rcna17217

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rape_of_Alexandre_Robert

Oh come on. He was apparently still at school!

I mean it was recklessness or naivety. I understand your point, that he was only just over the threshold of adulthood and that the ramifications could have been far less severe had he been a few months younger. But that's just how things go in a country that isn't swayed by appeals to sympathy.

His parents must be beside themselves. What a lot of distress as a result of not opting for a holiday destination with more familiar laws and customs.

Dubai is a dreadful country. Look at their treatment of migrant workers.

Their laws are repressive and they have the death penalty. I can't imagine why anyone would want to live there.

I’m not sure an 18 year old on holiday with his mum and dad would have realised the draconian consequences - but in future it’s probably best if people avoid Dubai.

I didnt say WHICH laws... but I think the slippery slope happened in the UK a long time ago.. eg the reclassification of drugs because the system couldnt cope with all the possible prosecutions.... now the non attendance of police officers at the scene of break-ins... etc etc

Sorry.. dont want to divert this thread...

Yep, that's the first thing teenagers do when travelling for a holiday.

And you are off the mark about the USA too - the situation is far more complicated because BOTH the teenagers would have been under the age of consent. Many sates have what are called "Romeo and Juliet" laws which state that if the age difference in small (as in this case) they will not prosecute (in New York State for example, it is not a felony if both aprties are over 13 years old AND there is no more than 4 years age difference); and in a case like this they would technically have to prosecute them both under felony law if there were no other exceptions! If that isn't confusing enough, some states have laws that directly conflict with the national law. But no - he wouldn't have been "done" in the USA.

And her parents were not only twats, but if they wanted to exercise such control over their daughter they perhaps should have known where she was at all times.

He broke the law....now he's got to do the time. Simple. It's always been the way over there. I lived there as a young child in the 70's and I was always told don't argue with the police

What it has 'to do with it' is the profoundly different values that the UK has compared to this country. Can you not see that people are sickened by these Draconian laws and the plight that awaits this young person. So it has everything to do with it as it is morally shocking when considered alongside the UK values.

FCDO travel advice is cristal clear on this. If you have sex with someone aged under 18 you will be prosecuted.

https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-advice/united-arab-emirates/safety-and-security

I haven't followed the story closely, but I didn't read anything that suggested it wasn't fully consensual?
But maybe the mother felt that her daughter was coerced or manupulated into it?

That said as much as my heart breaks for this poor young lad - the Dubai authorities hands are tied.

They could not ignore the law being broken on their territory even if all involved are foreigners. However I think they also are keenly aware that age of consent laws are meant to protect the very young and powerful from actual predators not consensual relationships between teens with a few months apart.

And the only reason any action was taken us because the girl happens to have a bigoted bitter witch for a mother.

And I think the sentence is meant to reflect that. That he received one year when he could have received 20 shows that even the Dubai authorities realise it’s a stupid case.