A significant development has emerged in the case of Marcus Fakana, the 19-year-old British teen who was jailed in Dubai after having sex with a girl while on holiday.
Fakana, who was 18 at the time, had entered into a consensual relationship with a 17-year-old British girl during a family trip to the United Arab Emirates. Although she was reportedly just a month shy of her 18th birthday, UAE law sets the age of consent at 18, making the act illegal under local regulations, per the BBC.
He was sentenced to one year in prison in December and had recently made a personal plea to the country’s ruler, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
Now, after months of what supporters described as “struggling” in the Dubai prison system, Fakana has now returned to the UK following a royal pardon.
Authorities were initially alerted to the relationship when the girl returned to the UK and her mother discovered messages between the two, according to The Guardian. She then reported Fakana to the authorities, leading to police arriving at his hotel room, an incident that left him and his parents terrified.
"We really liked each other but she was secretive with her family because they were strict," Fakana told the Detained in Dubai group, which campaigns to help people it says have suffered injustice, per Sky News.
"My parents knew about our relationship but she couldn't tell hers. She had to meet me without telling them it was to see a boy."
In the months since, campaigners had been working to secure a royal pardon, highlighting Fakana’s remorse and respect for UAE laws.
"This has been the most traumatic and life-altering experience imaginable for Marcus," Radha Stirling of Detained in Dubai said, via LBC. "He is barely an adult himself, and never intended to break any law. What happened was legal in the UK and consensual, but now he is facing permanent damage to his mental health and future prospects because of it."
On July 3rd, Fakana finally landed back in the UK. According to campaigners, he is now currently recovering from the traumatic experience.
“This was an extraordinary young man caught in a deeply unjust system. We thank everyone who stood by Marcus and helped bring him home,” Stirling said. “Marcus is back where he belongs, but no one should have to endure this.”
She went on to describe the toll the case had taken on Fakana’s mental and emotional wellbeing. “It all happened so fast and he was nervous until the plane left the tarmac. We are relieved Marcus was released early from his 1 year long prison sentence,” she said, per The Independent.
“Thank you to both the British Embassy and the Dubai government for supporting the pardon process. We do suggest an expedited legal process is put in place for tourists to reduce the number of unnecessary custodial sentences.”