Briton, 18, on bail over Dubai sex with girl, 17

An 18-year-old British antheral sentenced to 1 twelvemonth successful situation for a intersexual narration with a 17-year-old British miss successful Dubai has been fixed bail, a run radical has said.

Marcus Fakana, of Tottenham, northbound London, began the secretive vacation romance successful September with different Londoner, who is present aged 18.

After returning location and seeing pictures and chats, the girl's parent reported the narration to Dubai police, who past arrested Fakana astatine his hotel. Sex with different idiosyncratic aged nether 18 is amerciable successful Dubai.

On Wednesday, run radical Detained successful Dubai called the judgement an "utter disgrace" and said Fakana would entreaty against the "unreasonable" sentence.

Both teenagers were connected vacation with their parents successful the emirate from the UK, wherever the property of consent is 16.

Fakana had told his household astir the romance but the miss had not.

The authorities of Dubai antecedently said: "Under UAE law, the miss is legally classified arsenic a minor, and successful accordance with procedures recognised internationally, her parent - being the ineligible guardian - filed the complaint."

It added: "Dubai's ineligible strategy is committed to protecting the rights of each individuals and ensuring impartial judicial proceedings."

Ms Stirling, the laminitis and main enforcement of Detained successful Dubai, which helps foreigners overseas and is an planetary authorization connected UAE law, told the BBC Fakana "was shocked" by the "unfathomable" sentence.

She said: "It does not warrant a twelvemonth successful jail, doesn't warrant tearing this household isolated and ruining this young 18-year-old's life.

"I'm assured that, connected appeal, the custodial condemnation volition beryllium overturned and helium volition beryllium allowed to instrumentality home.

"The question is however agelong is that going to instrumentality and however overmuch effort is that going to take, whether that's British involution oregon the nationalist enactment successful telling Dubai this is unacceptable?"

The 18-year-old's parents returned to London without their lad aft the vacation to resume their jobs successful a warehouse and arsenic a cleaner to assistance wage for his impermanent accommodation.

A UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) spokesperson said: "We are supporting a British antheral successful the UAE and are successful interaction with his family."