Family of Marcus Fakana shares heartbreaking message following his death
Marcus Fakana, 19, died 3 months after being released from jail when a car he was a passenger in crashed following a police pursuit
Thank you for reading The Source. This is a weekly newsletter recapping news from Black, Asian and Arab communities. Founded by awarded journalist Melissa Sigodo, The Source also delivers independent journalism, telling stories from the Black community including the story you are about to read. Stories like this are often underreported, but The Source is on a mission to make sure that you get the stories that matter.
If you haven’t yet subscribed, click below. You can also support this crucial work by upgrading to a paid subscription for £5 a month so we can continue to show the diversity of the Black community and hold power to account.
Family of Marcus Fakana shares heartbreaking message following his death
Marcus Fakana’s family fought for him to be released from Dubai jail and he was eventually granted a pardon halfway into his sentence.
STORY BY MELISSA SIGODO
OCTOBER 7, 2025
The family of a teenager who was jailed in Dubai following a holiday romance have shared a heartbreaking message following his death.
Marcus Fakana, 19, died in a crash on Friday, October 3, three months after he was freed from prison in Dubai where he was jailed for having consensual sex with a then-17-year-old British girl whose mother reported him to police when she learned of their holiday romance.
The Metropolitan Police stated that the vehicle he was a passenger in had collided with another during a police pursuit.
The driver Marwaan Mohamed Huseen, 19, who survived the crash has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, driving without insurance, driving without a license and failing to stop.
Now, for the first time since Marcus’s death, his family has posted a heartbreaking message sharing their pain after losing their “beloved son.”
On the JusticeforMarcus Instagram page, the family wrote: “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn the passing of our beloved son.
“Words cannot express the pain we feel. He was more than just our son - to many, he was a brother, cousin and friend who touched countless hearts.”
The post went on to share that an “act of remembrance would be held on October 10, 2025, at 6pm in Tottenham, London, at The roundway junction of the A10 - A17.
At the location, mourners would be encouraged to honour Marcus with blue and white balloons.
In the message, the family asked for their privacy to be respected adding that the “love, prayers and support” had meant “the world” to them and that it had not gone “unnoticed.”
Marcus had been released from prison in Dubai halfway through his sentence after receiving a royal pardon from Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The teenager had been jailed for having sex outside of marriage which is illegal in Dubai.
Following the news of Marcus’s death, social media users expressed their shock and sadness along with representatives for the organistion Detained in Dubai who worked to have Marcus freed.
Crisis Manager Raphaella Stirling who posted on X formerly Twitter shared how the 19-year-old had looked forward to the future.
She wrote: “We are heartbroken to share that our client and friend, Marcus Fakana, tragically lost his life in a car accident in Tottenham on the 3rd of October 2025.
“Marcus had only been released from prison earlier this year. Despite everything he endured, he was grateful for the kindness of the British public, and he embraced his freedom with renewed faith, joy, and hope for the future.
“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. Rest in peace Marcus.”