British teenager begins one-year prison sentence in UAE for holiday romance case
British teenager Marcus Fakanda, 18, has begun a one-year prison sentence in the UAE after being convicted of having sex with a 17-year-old girl during a holiday. He surrendered to authorities at Al Awir prison, known for housing serious offenders. Fakana was arrested in August after the girl's mother reported the relationship to Dubai police. While the relationship was legal in the UK, UAE law defines a 17-year-old as a child, leading to the felony charge. Fakana's family and supporters have criticized the British government for not providing adequate assistance. They argue that the case could have been handled more leniently, and the teenager feels abandoned by officials.