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Topics: UK News, World News, Crime, Police
Britt Jones
A British teenager who was released from jail in Dubai three months ago has been killed in a collision in Tottenham, a campaign group has said.
Marcus Fakana, 19, spent months in prison in Dubai after having consensual sex with a British girl who was 17 at the time.
They were both on holiday when it happened, but after the girl returned home to London, her parents told the authorities of their relationship.
Subsequently, Fakana - who was 18 at the time - was arrested and sentenced to a year behind bars.
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This was because the legal age of consent in Dubai is 18, and as the girl was 17 at the time they engaged in sex, it made her a minor under local law.
Several months later, Fakana was finally released from prison and returned home to the UK on July 3.
But sadly, an organisation that helped to free him from the Dubai jail has announced that he has died three months later.
Radha Stirling, CEO of campaign group Detained in Dubai, said: "We are heartbroken to share that our client and friend, Marcus Fakana, tragically lost his life in a car accident in Tottenham after his release from Dubai jail.
"His loss is a painful reminder of how precious life is and how unnecessary imprisonment robs people of time they can never regain. Every day of freedom matters.
“He’d shown strength and courage, and he was excited and optimistic about his future.”
She added: “It is devastating that Marcus’s journey has been cut short so soon after he began to rebuild his life.”
According to The Standard, Fakana was a passenger in a vehicle which went on to collide with another car, with the outlet reporting that the car had failed to stop for police, and officers lost sight of it when it drove off.
However, when they caught up to it, they found it had collided with another vehicle, and the passenger (Fakana) was taken to hospital, where he later died.
The driver, who is also 19, was arrested by police and taken into custody.
Stirling said of her memories of Fakana: “I remember speaking with Marcus as he bravely turned himself in to face an unfair prison sentence.
“He was surprisingly calm, trusting that we would continue to fight for him. Thankfully, we were able to keep that promise and see him walk free.”
After being released from jail, she said the whole ordeal had brought him closer to his religion, stating: “Regaining his freedom brought Marcus joy, peace, and a renewed sense of purpose. He embraced life again with optimism, a deepened commitment to his Christian faith, and excitement for the future.”
Stirling added: “Marcus’s passing is also a reminder of how precious and irreplaceable life is.”
There have been no other injuries reported from the collision.
UNILAD has reached out to the Metropolitan Police for comment.