this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024
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Marcus, from Tottenham, North London, had been enjoying a holiday with his parents when he met a fellow Brit at the same hotel. A holiday fling sparked and the pair spent time together until the girl, also from London, flew back to Britain.

In Dubai, if an adult has a sexual relationship with a person under 18, they can be prosecuted for having a sexual relationship with a minor. The relationship would be legal in the UK.

Marcus and his parents were set to fly back shortly after - but their plans were thrown into chaos when police knocked on their hotel room door. The "terrified" teenager was then reportedly hauled in for questioning without any explanation and held at the Al Barsha Police Station, DID said. He spent three days there, during which time he was not allowed to make a phone call or speak with his parents, it is claimed.

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[–] [email protected] 286 points 6 days ago (9 children)

You Europeans really gotta stop vacationing in fucking Dubai, there are way cooler places to fly to.

[–] [email protected] 151 points 6 days ago (5 children)

It's fucking Dubai.. Why would you want to go there?

A monument to man's arrogance, literal slaves, rampant misogyny, homophobia Yada Yada. Terrifying laws based on ultra conservative religions. Routinely one of the hottest places in the world and extremely expensive.

Just fucking why?

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 days ago

My guess is that the bri'ish family is either composed of rich assholes wanting to show off they're rich, or of scammers that still haven't got caught. Seriously, that city is a magnet for scammers to spend money on.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 days ago (4 children)

Because for some people those are features.

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[–] [email protected] 54 points 6 days ago (1 children)

100%, I hated every minute of my layover wandering that shit-quality SimCity attempt, the bubble popped real fast once I talked to some locals.

I can't wait for the sand to bury that cruel slave labor shitberg.

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

The only good reason to be there is a connecting flight

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[–] [email protected] 137 points 6 days ago (3 children)

Fuck Dubai.

Signed me, who grew up there.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 6 days ago (1 children)

Man I'd be interested to hear about that. Any interesting insights?

[–] [email protected] 9 points 6 days ago

Like any hotspot for the wealthy: hypocrisy and corruption as far as the eye can see.

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[–] [email protected] 83 points 6 days ago (16 children)

Hard to feel sorry about anyone travelling to Dubai.

[–] [email protected] 25 points 6 days ago

Correct for adults, but this was the kid travelling with his parents. It's likely that the decision was the parents' - also, most kids are not very well-versed in politics.

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[–] [email protected] 12 points 5 days ago

I have the family's next vacation picked out! Saudi Arabia, where they'll have a fully stocked bar of alcohol and pork waiting for them to enjoy! What could go wrong!

Stop spending your money in these Islamofascist countries!

[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

I wonder if there is a law in the UK that would allow the parents of the boy to sue the mother of the girl for snitching. Like, she weaponized the laws of another country that criminalize behaviours that are legal in the UK, for things that happened between UK citizens abroad. That sounds like something UK legislators might have the power and incentive to legislate, right?

Also, I would not fault the girl if she hated her horrible mother for the rest of her life.

[–] [email protected] 15 points 5 days ago

£20 says she's white and racist.

[–] [email protected] 60 points 6 days ago (15 children)

I'm curious how the authorities were even aware of this occurring. The article says they were on holiday, so it's not like there was much time. How did anyone notice their ages? Was it just fishing for a charge because of unrelated reasons?

[–] [email protected] 83 points 6 days ago (5 children)

Either

  1. They're always watching. I'm in tech and was taught in my security training - when traveling to countries with extremely strong surveillance, assume you are bugged. Family could be high valued and they wanted something from the parents. Probably a bit too tinfoil hat.

  2. Vengeance girl's parents could be assholes/racist. As a dude, Ive had my share of "mommy & daddy doesn't like me for taking their precious flower". Multiplier in effect if they have a problem that I'm a PoC.

[–] [email protected] 50 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (2 children)

It was the mother of the girl. She got back to the UK found out about the boy and contacted the Dubai authorities. Apparently the girl was days off her 18th birthday too. It was in the news report when he was originally arrested.

Wrecked a young man’s life for some bullshit reason.

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[–] [email protected] 23 points 6 days ago

You already know that Mommy phoned it in but after reading several articles I'm going to guess she did it because her family is Muslim. According to another article his family knew about it but didn't care however she was hiding it from her family because they were "quite strict".

I won't discount racist assholes of course but you'd have to be SERIOUSLY over the top to know about this law in Dubai, let alone be willing to make an international phone call to the Dubai police about it. This smacks of religiously motivated behavior.

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[–] pandapoo 30 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (3 children)

Did you read the article?

The girls mother reported him to the Dubai police.

Hopefully her identity is revealed to the public and she faces some consequences for her actions. Maybe it's already been leaked or released elsewhere, but it wasn't in that article.

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[–] [email protected] 38 points 6 days ago (2 children)

Sry no sympathies. You vacation in a religiously oppressive hell hole this is what you get. Stay the fuck out of Dubai.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago)

Okay look. This dude is 18. His brain isn't fully developed, he didn't even graduate from high school yet, his hormones are out of control, and he has a penis.

If you still can't see why he wasn't thinking clearly, please read this article Teen Brain: Behavior, Problem Solving, and Decision Making from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

[–] [email protected] 21 points 6 days ago

No sympathies? He didn't choose where to vacation, his parents did. Should children pay for their parents' mistakes?

[–] [email protected] 16 points 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (6 children)

As I'm reading this story I keep wondering...
How in the hell did the authorities even catch wind of this even happening?
Did someone report them?
Are all the rooms tapped and monitored Stasi-style?

[–] [email protected] 18 points 6 days ago

Mother of girl reported him after they had left and he was still there.

[–] [email protected] 13 points 6 days ago

Well, did you read it?

After returning to the UK and seeing pictures and chats, the girl’s mother reported the relationship to Dubai police, who then arrested Mr Fakana at his hotel, it is alleged.

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[–] [email protected] 15 points 6 days ago (1 children)

On one hand, yeah, that sucks.

On the other hand, you go to a foreign country, you're subject to their laws, and it's on you to be aware of them.

There are weapons that I could happily lug around in the US that the UK would take issue with if I were to be doing so in the UK. Do I personally feel that British law is going the right way on this? No. However, it's British territory, and so British law has jurisdiction. Saying "but I'm from the US and that would be perfectly legal back home" isn't going to carry a lot of water with British courts, or, I expect, with British public opinion.

Similarly, a Brit can't exactly go to the UAE and just do as one does in the UK and expect the UAE to accept it because something's legal in the UK. International travel is a lot cheaper and easier than it ever has been historically, but once you walk across the line of a sovereign territory, it's got real consequences, and if you choose to travel internationally, it's on you to be aware of them. That country isn't just a tourism spot for people from Country X, but a home for people who live there. They've got their own rules and concerns.

The chief executive of campaign group Detained in Dubai said Mr Fakana felt abandoned by the British government. He's expected to appeal against his sentence.

I don't really see a reasonable complaint against the British government here, at least from the article text.

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