Supporters of Brit teen convicted for 'holiday fling' slam David Lammy

by · Mail Online

Campaigners helping a British teenager who was convicted over a holiday romance in the UAE have said it is 'outrageous' that the foreign secretary appears to not want to help them.

Detained in Dubai, a campaign group working closely with the family of Marcus Fakana, has asked David Lammy to raise the case through diplomatic channels after the apprentice builder was sentenced in Dubai last week.

Fakana, 18, is facing a year behind bars for having sex with a 17-year-old girl from London while he was on holiday with his parents in the UAE city in August.

The girl was just one month away from turning 18, but sex with anyone under the age of 18 is an offence in the Gulf state.

Following the arrest of the British teenager, the foreign secretary, who also serves as the MP of for Fakana's north London constituency, Tottenham, said  that Britons should 'follow the rules' in other countries'.

But Detained in Dubai have blasted the statement as untrue.

It said: 'It's outrageous to remove himself from the case. He [Lammy] clearly did not want to help or have those conversations with the Dubai government. 

'He is absolutely fine to see a young British tourist jailed for relations with someone who was one month away from being 18, simply saying you should follow the law.'

Marcus Fakana, 18, had a weeklong holiday romance with a girl, also British, but was arrested and detained after her mother complained to the Dubai police. He has now been jailed 
Detained in Dubai, a campaign group working closely with the family of Fakana, slammed British Foreign Secretary David Lammy for 'removing himself from the case' 
Marcus is pictured with his family who have been battling to get the teenager released 

Lammy has said that the family of the convicted teenager 'have had all the full support'. 

A FCDO spokesperson said: 'We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family'.

It comes after lawyer David Haigh, who is advising the Fakana family, warned that Fakana could have his sentence increased to up to 20 years.

Speaking exclusively to The Mail on Sunday, Haigh said: 'The maximum sentence for a case like this is 20 years.

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Brit tourist, 18, is stuck in a 'nightmare' as he faces 20 years in Dubai prison over fling 

'It is always seen that the prosecutor really decides the sentence, but this was a low one for them. The worry is that they will not want to let this go and look weak. They may want to show they have fully upheld the law to everyone watching. Marcus will play almost no part in any prosecution appeal.

'He won't be allowed to talk or address the judge and everything will be in Arabic anyway. There won't be a translator. He'll probably be pushed into court for a minute and then pushed straight out again.'

He added: 'The days ahead are fraught with difficulty.'

Fakana has not yet been imprisoned in the maximum-security al-Awir central prison for men, which is home to death row inmates, murderers, terrorists and violent gangsters, as prosecutors question whether to demand the handing of a more severe punishment.

Haigh said the main hope was that the ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, would respond to Fakana's fresh plea to be pardoned by authorities and deported rather than locked up.

Pictured is the high-security al-Awir Central Prison where Fakana will serve his sentence. The jail houses some of Dubai's worst offenders, including murderer, terrorists and rapists 
While the relationship would have been legal in the UK, under Dubai law a 17-year-old is defined as a child. The girl, from London, has since turned 18
The family of Marcus Fakana, from Tottenham, London, have been left devastated by his prison sentence, sources claimed

The leading human rights lawyer also raised concerns for the teenagers safety within the jail, stating his young age and the levels of racism would make it a 'terrible' experience for him.

'The family are very worried. They are hoping for a miracle,' Haigh added

Fakana could yet launch an appeal of his own to try and get the sentence reduced or removed. 

Radha Stirling, who leads pressure group Detained in Dubai, said Fakana 'clearly didn't intend to break the law'.

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She added: 'They [his family] are going to wait and see if the prosecution is going to apply for a harsher sentence. That real possibility is frankly freaking the family out.

'He never imagined that he would be going to jail for a holiday romance with a girl who was a few months younger, but is now the same age.

'It is just shocking. His life is being ruined. Here we have two British tourists who were on holiday in a consensual relationship and now one is going to jail.

'Dubai likes to market itself as a glamorous party destination, one for influencers yet they are jailing a British tourist for a something that would not be a crime in his own country and ruining his life.'

Speaking on the sentence, Sterling said: 'I did expect the British Government, as other Governments have done, to step up and save one of their citizens from unjust sentencing.

'Marcus did plead guilty, but police and prosecutors had a disturbing litany of details in his file which ended up making it more than a misdemeanour and heard in a higher court.

'They said he was older than 19 and he was from Pakistan. He was a British citizen. There were a lot errors deliberately to torment him.'

Marcus' parents have asked Dubai ruler HH Sheikh Mohammed Al Maktoum 'to please let our boy come home'
Radha Stirling, founder of British-based aid group Detained In Dubai, slammed the government for not doing more to help the teen, branding the situation an 'embarrassment' to Britain

Fakana began his secretive holiday romance in August with the girl who was then just a couple of weeks short of her 18th birthday.

They were reportedly planning on continuing their relationship when they were back in London. 

But the girl's mother reportedly found birth control pills, photos and chats upon their return to the UK and informed the Dubai police, who arrested Fakana at his hotel.

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David Lammy heeds pleas to aid UK teen facing jail in Dubai after being charged with sex crime

Since his arrest Fakana has been staying in a rented flat and was said to be 'too scared' to venture out.

A GoFundMe page set up by the family has raised over £33,000, with the money being put forward to pay for the teen's accommodation and legal fees.

On the page the family wrote: 'Our son (Marcus) went to the UAE to celebrate his father's birthday and join a family reunion. What was meant to be a happy time has turned into a nightmare for him, our family and our friends.

'This has happened as a result of someone trying to misuse UAE law against him. He is being charged with a crime that could lead to imprisonment for up to 20 years.

'He is only 18 years old, very scared, and his mental health is starting to decline. We've done all we can to fight for his freedom, but now we urgently need to raise at least £20,000 to work on getting him back home.

'We've already spent as much as we can on legal help and his housing needs while he stays to fight his case. We're trying our best, but we are struggling with the funds to continue this fight. The legal system in Dubai is very different from the UK and very expensive which makes this whole ordeal even more challenging.'