this post was submitted on 11 Dec 2024

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London teen jailed for one year in Dubai after 'holiday romance' with 17-year-old girl (www.mylondon.news)

submitted 1 day ago by [email protected] to c/nottheonion

141 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Marcus, from Tottenham, North London, had been enjoying a holiday with his parents when he met a fellow Brit at the same hotel. A holiday fling sparked and the pair spent time together until the girl, also from London, flew back to Britain.

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 relationship would be legal in the UK.

Marcus and his parents were set to fly back shortly after - but their plans were thrown into chaos when police knocked on their hotel room door. The "terrified" teenager was then reportedly hauled in for questioning without any explanation and held at the Al Barsha Police Station, DID said. He spent three days there, during which time he was not allowed to make a phone call or speak with his parents, it is claimed.

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[–] [email protected] 259 points 1 day ago (14 children)

I will never understand why this place is idolized by so many people...

[–] someguy3 118 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (3 children)

Or why you'd even vacation there. How tf did they convince people to vacation in a desert?

[–] kautau 30 points 1 day ago

FOMO. makes it seem exclusive. For whatever reason at least 50% of humans are just wired to want to feel better than everyone else. The actual experience itself doesn't matter as long as they can brag about it knowing that others weren't able to achieve it. Dubai literally has ice shipped in from melting glaciers so that rich people can put it into their drink https://arcticice.ae/

[–] [email protected] 18 points 23 hours ago (4 children)

Seriously, it’s like worse Vegas, and I don’t like Vegas at all

[–] 3ntranced 2 points 16 hours ago

I'd like Vegas if there was like an airconditioned pedway to walk around the strip out of the heat and away from the crazies but still be able to observe like a human zoo.

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[–] [email protected] 6 points 21 hours ago (2 children)

A bit of an unwarranted answer, but many richer Pakistanis go there to buy stuff that isn't easily available back home. Hence, they become cash cows for the ginormous malls over there (seriously. If you think American malls are big, you haven't been to Dubai). It's basically the closest foreign city we have direct flights to, due to our sanctions and all with India. For example, I got my Nintendo 3DS, and later the phone that I'm currently using (Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra), from malls in Dubai.

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[–] [email protected] 50 points 1 day ago

If you are talking about social media it is likely that they aren't allowed to post something negative about the country or else you can be fined. If you are working as an influncer in Dubai you'll need to obtain an license which regulates what you can post but you basically pay no income taxes

[–] sensiblepuffin 23 points 1 day ago (3 children)

For the Middle East, it's relatively progressive, from what I understand. That being said, that's a low low bar.

[–] [email protected] 32 points 1 day ago

I first thought you wrote “from the Middle East” yeah no. Dubai is Saudi Arabia with better PR.

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[–] [email protected] 126 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Fuck Dubai.

Signed me, who grew up there.

[–] [email protected] 7 points 18 hours ago (1 children)

Man I'd be interested to hear about that. Any interesting insights?

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[–] [email protected] 3 points 19 hours ago

What was it like

[–] beansbeansbeans 116 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Dubai is a terrible place. People need to stop going there.

[–] friend_of_satan 28 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I even worry about transiting places like this.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 21 hours ago* (last edited 21 hours ago)

We Pakistanis don't have much of a choice... We often have to stop at Dubai or Doha if we want to fly to Europe or the Americas. (Although occasionally, you can choose Turkish Airlines and stop at Istanbul instead.) Though to be fair, Pakistan can't be much more friendly than Dubai to a lotta people...

[–] [email protected] 56 points 1 day ago (6 children)

I'm curious how the authorities were even aware of this occurring. The article says they were on holiday, so it's not like there was much time. How did anyone notice their ages? Was it just fishing for a charge because of unrelated reasons?

[–] [email protected] 28 points 22 hours ago* (last edited 22 hours ago) (3 children)

Did you read the article?

The girls mother reported him to the Dubai police.

Hopefully her identity is revealed to the public and she faces some consequences for her actions. Maybe it's already been leaked or released elsewhere, but it wasn't in that article.

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[–] [email protected] 78 points 1 day ago (5 children)

Either

They're always watching. I'm in tech and was taught in my security training - when traveling to countries with extremely strong surveillance, assume you are bugged. Family could be high valued and they wanted something from the parents. Probably a bit too tinfoil hat.
Vengeance girl's parents could be assholes/racist. As a dude, Ive had my share of "mommy & daddy doesn't like me for taking their precious flower". Multiplier in effect if they have a problem that I'm a PoC.

[–] [email protected] 39 points 1 day ago* (last edited 10 hours ago) (1 children)

It was the mother of the girl. She got back to the UK found out about the boy and contacted the Dubai authorities. Apparently the girl was days off her 18th birthday too. It was in the news report when he was originally arrested.

Wrecked a young man’s life for some bullshit reason.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 16 hours ago (1 children)

Wow, 2 years older in mere days. Must be a leap year.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 10 hours ago

Sorry typo. Fixed

[–] [email protected] 21 points 22 hours ago

You already know that Mommy phoned it in but after reading several articles I'm going to guess she did it because her family is Muslim. According to another article his family knew about it but didn't care however she was hiding it from her family because they were "quite strict".

I won't discount racist assholes of course but you'd have to be SERIOUSLY over the top to know about this law in Dubai, let alone be willing to make an international phone call to the Dubai police about it. This smacks of religiously motivated behavior.

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[–] [email protected] 43 points 1 day ago

I won't say I'll never go to Dubai, but I will say I'll do my best to never end up there.

[–] Zexks 38 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Sry no sympathies. You vacation in a religiously oppressive hell hole this is what you get. Stay the fuck out of Dubai.

[–] Vorticity 21 points 23 hours ago

No sympathies? He didn't choose where to vacation, his parents did. Should children pay for their parents' mistakes?

[–] [email protected] 33 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Okay look. This dude is 18. His brain isn't fully developed, he didn't even graduate from high school yet, his hormones are out of control, and he has a penis.

If you still can't see why he wasn't thinking clearly, please read this article Teen Brain: Behavior, Problem Solving, and Decision Making from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.

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