Dubai Bound: UK Teen Faces 20-Year Sentence for Holiday Romance

A British teenager is facing a stern punishment in Dubai after being accused of engaging in a romantic relationship with a 17-year-old tourist. While the two were in a consenting relationship when they were both underage, Dubai's laws put a stringent anti-sexual activity statute in place, criminalizing any relation not recognized as married.

The parents of the 17-year-old tourist uncovered a conversation with their daughter after meeting 18-year-old Marcus Fakana at the same hotel in Dubai. Shortly after discovering the extent of their relationship, they immediately contacted Dubai's authorities, initiating Fakana's legal troubles. Under UAE law, Fakana will face charges as consent based on national age of consent would be irrelevant due to the existing marriage code in the lawbook.

Detained in Dubai, a UK-based support group for those detained in the UAE, has expressed hope that Fakana may be released, claiming that the authorities can drop the charges. Citing previous instances where individual courts have ruled in favor of lesser punishments, Detained in Dubai may offer a glimmer of hope for the young man's family, who have urged Foreign Secretary David Lammy to intervene on the case. This plea for intervention comes on the heels of controversies surrounding similar strict enforcement of UAE laws, beginning with the imprisonment of a Northern Irish man over a negative online review.

The fact that consent was a factor in the UK between these two teenagers falls void under the strict Islamic law present in Dubai. Fakana is still being held, unable to leave the country while the case unfolds. A detailed review is eagerly awaited from the UK Foreign Office handling the application.