Marcus Fakana handed himself in to Dubai’s notorious Al Awir prison. (Image: Detained in Dubai/Getty)
A British man sentenced to one year in a jail for having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl has handed himself in to begin his sentence, a campaign group has said.
Marcus Fakana, 18, of Tottenham, north , “now hopes for a pardon” from Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, according to Detained in Dubai.
In a message shared by the group, Mr Fakana thanked the people who have supported him throughout his “fight”.
He said: “I’m grateful for all the people who helped by donating to me and my family”, before signing off with the words: “[G]oodbye Marcus.F”.
Radha Stirling, Detained in Dubai’s Chief Executive, said she was worried about the impact of a Dubai prison on an 18-year-old’s life”.
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Supporters hope for a pardon from Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. (Image: Getty)
She said: “It wasn’t easy to find the words to say to him as he surrendered his freedom.”
Ms Stirling told the : “Marcus turned himself in to the police today (Monday, December 30) to begin his one-year sentence.
“It was a very difficult decision, but he wanted to start the clock ticking… because an appeal, regardless of the risks of the outcome, could have taken four to six months just on bail, waiting for legal proceedings.
“If he didn’t get a better sentence, then his one year wouldn’t start until after that six-month process so he made that difficult decision to hand himself in today.”
She said his hope now is for family and supporters to continue to lobby for his sentence to be commuted or for a pardon.
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A holiday romance ‘blossomed’ in Dubai, Marcus Fakana’s supporters say (Image: Getty)
Mr Fakana was with his parents in the United Arab Emirates from the end of August when a “holiday romance blossomed” with another young Londoner. The girl has since turned 18.
It is alleged that 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.
A Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office spokesman said: “We are supporting a British man in the UAE and are in contact with his family.”
Consular officials are said to be in regular contact with Mr Fakana, his family and his legal team, but the British Government is not able to interfere in the country’s judicial system.
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 age of consent in England is 16.
Ms Stirling said that had the consensual sex taken place in October and not September; then it would not have been a crime in Dubai as the girl was only a month away from her eighteenth birthday. She alleged errors on the part of prosecutors, including recording his age as older than 18, had escalated the case from a misdemeanour to a felony.
He turned himself in at Dubai’s Al Awir prison, where Ms Stirling said conditions in the country’s prisons meant the UK still hasn’t signed an extradition treaty with the emirate. Ms Stirling said Mr Fakana had been “brave” and told her he would “work on himself” in jail.
Mr Fakana has received backing from members of the public. A Change.org petition calling on the Government to offer him stronger support received more than 40,000 signatures.
A fundraiser Mr Fakana’s family set up has raised over £35,000. According to GoFundMe, Game of Thrones actor Kit Harington donated £500.