Londoner, 18, held in Dubai for having sex with 17-year-old British girl

An 18-year-old Londoner faces years successful jailhouse aft having enactment with a 17-year-old British miss helium met successful Dubai, campaigners say.

Marcus Fakana was with his household successful the UAE erstwhile a "holiday romance blossomed" with the miss - who's besides from London and present 18.

"We truly liked each different but she was secretive with her household due to the fact that they were strict," helium told the Detained successful Dubai group.

"My parents knew astir our narration but she couldn't archer hers. She had to conscionable maine without telling them it was to spot a boy."

The miss returned location but the brace reportedly hoped to proceed the narration backmost successful the UK.

However, Mr Fakana said constabulary turned up astatine his family's edifice and took him into custody without explanation.

He was held for 3 days and wasn't allowed to telephone oregon talk to his parents, according to Detained successful Dubai, which campaigns to assistance radical it says person suffered injustice.

It says Mr Fakana was arrested and charged aft the girl's parent recovered their chats and pictures backmost successful the UK and called Dubai police.

Dubai is well-known for its strict laws connected things specified arsenic drugs, intoxicant and enactment retired of matrimony - and campaigners assertion the teen from Tottenham could look a 20-year jailhouse sentence.

"Dubai has lone precocious legalised out-of-wedlock enactment for tourists but inactive hosts a strict Islamic ineligible system," said Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained successful Dubai.

"The miss was conscionable a fewer months younger than Marcus and helium didn't cognize that astatine the time. Since his arrest, she has turned 18 and Marcus would not beryllium facing 20 years successful jail.

"This is not thing Dubai should beryllium prosecuting."

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Mr Fakana and his household are urging Foreign Secretary David Lammy, their MP, to intervene successful the case.

The 18-year-old is nary longer successful a constabulary compartment but cannot permission the state and says his household is having to wage £2,000 for Airbnbs until his lawsuit is resolved.

"They gain a humble living, my parent is simply a cleaner and my dada works successful a warehouse," helium told Detained successful Dubai. "They saved up for this one-off vacation and they person present utilized each of their savings."

Earlier this year, an Irish compartment unit subordinate was charged with attempted termination by Dubai authorities and prevented from leaving the UAE.

The charges were yet dropped and she was allowed location aft politicians and the media highlighted the case.