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.

  • BetaBlake@lemmy.world
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    2 days ago

    You Europeans really gotta stop vacationing in fucking Dubai, there are way cooler places to fly to.

    • Woht24@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      It’s fucking Dubai… Why would you want to go there?

      A monument to man’s arrogance, literal slaves, rampant misogyny, homophobia Yada Yada. Terrifying laws based on ultra conservative religions. Routinely one of the hottest places in the world and extremely expensive.

      Just fucking why?

      • OfficerBribe@lemm.ee
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        8 hours ago

        I have the same mindset against Dubai and would never visit it. That said I know a perfectly normal colleague who has been there with his family 2 or 3 times and said he would probably go there again. Don’t recall why they liked it there that much.

      • I Cast Fist@programming.dev
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        2 days ago

        My guess is that the bri’ish family is either composed of rich assholes wanting to show off they’re rich, or of scammers that still haven’t got caught. Seriously, that city is a magnet for scammers to spend money on.

        • Woht24@lemmy.world
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          10 hours ago

          But for people who those are features, they are very likely to be Muslim or at the least Arabic and therefore, probably somewhat similar to their home.

          I’m saying for a westerner, to think you can go the and have a great time safely, you’re deluded.

          • BluesF@lemmy.world
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            8 hours ago

            But for people who those are features, they are very likely to be Muslim or at the least Arabic

            Uh, I don’t think so. Perhaps very specifically the religious laws, but besides that you don’t have to look far among westerners to find those for whom…

            man’s arrogance, literal slaves, rampant misogyny, homophobia […] one of the hottest places in the world and extremely expensive

            … are rather a nice prospect, actually.

    • MonkderVierte@lemmy.ml
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      1 day ago

      My dad got there. They literally brainwashed him within a week. We had to prove him on multiple accounts that the tour guide lied to him.

    • RubberElectrons@lemmy.world
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      2 days ago

      100%, I hated every minute of my layover wandering that shit-quality SimCity attempt, the bubble popped real fast once I talked to some locals.

      I can’t wait for the sand to bury that cruel slave labor shitberg.