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Mom of Brit, 23, facing death by firing squad in Dubai reveals biggest fear
The mother of a British TikTok star facing the potential death penalty in Dubai has spoken out about her daughter's alleged mistreatment while in prison, revealing her biggest fear as she awaits her next hearing date.
Brooke George, has been accused of stabbing a 26-year-old British man William Treeby to death after traveling to the United Arab Emirates to meet him, with the former shop assistant claiming she was repeatedly abused at his hands and stabbed him in self-defense during a physical struggle.
Mother reveals her daughter's biggest fear while in prison awaiting date
Her mother, Tess, says that 23-year-old Brooke is enduring “awful conditions” while being held in custody, leaving her worried about the impact on her daughter's physical and mental health.
Her mother told Metro, “Watching your daughter go through this and being unable to bring her home is heartbreaking.”
She added, “To everyone else, Brooke is a name in a court case. To me, she is my little girl, and I am terrified about what could happen to her.”
Tess also raised concerns about the conditions in which her daughter is being held, claiming: “Brooke is locked up in overcrowded conditions at a police station notorious for Human Rights violations.
"It's appalling to continue to detain someone for so long pre-trial in such awful conditions.”
Brooke could face the death penalty if she is convicted of murdering Treeby, after the 23-year-old was arrested in June as she attempted to board a flight home to Britain and was charged with premeditated murder.
According to campaign group Detained in Dubai, Brooke met Treeby through Facebook before traveling to the UAE to see him.
She then alleges that he became “controlling and abusive” and “assaulted” her at a property in Jumeirah Village.
Brooke claims she was punched while pleading for her passport so she could leave and claims she feared for her life during a struggle and grabbed a kitchen knife that was “within her grasp”, using it to defend herself against her alleged attacker.
Her mother insists she wants the circumstances surrounding the incident to be properly examined.
“We believe Brooke was trying to protect herself. I want the court to look properly at the evidence and everything that happened to her,” Tess said.
She also added: “My greatest fear is that a decision will be made about her future without her voice truly being heard.”
Brooke attended a court hearing last Wednesday and is due to remain in detention until her next court appearance on October 28, with Brooke's family and legal representatives having raised concerns about the conditions she is facing while awaiting trial.
Tess said being unable to see or comfort her daughter in person had been particularly difficult, I haven't been able to hug her or comfort her except with words on the phone. That part is really distressing.”
She added, “I am worried about what being in prison is doing to her, what kind of physical and mental damage.”
Human rights organization speaks out
Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, which is assisting Brooke's family, said the young woman was struggling with her circumstances.
“Brooke is suffering terribly. Her family describes a young woman who is increasingly upset, unable to sleep and struggling to maintain even the briefest contact with home,” Stirling said.
“Her mother is left wondering how much worse things will become before she hears her daughter's voice again.
Tess and Stirling are continuing to raise Brooke's case with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and authorities in the UAE, with a spokesperson for the FCDO saying: “We are in contact with a British woman detained in the UAE and are supporting her family. We are in contact with the relevant authorities in the UAE and the UK.”