A British influencer is facing the possibility of the death penalty in Dubai after being accused of fatally stabbing a man during what she says was an act of self-defense.
Brooke George, 23, from Kent, had traveled to Dubai after meeting a British man on Facebook. According to reports, the pair spent the evening together before returning to an apartment, where an altercation allegedly turned violent.
George claims the man attacked her and says she grabbed a kitchen knife to defend herself.
After the incident, she reportedly booked a flight back to the UK. However, police arrested her at Dubai International Airport in the early hours of June 22 before she was able to leave the country.
She is now being held in Bur Dubai prison while authorities investigate the case.
Family alleges she was denied legal representation
George’s family says she has been denied access to a lawyer and was subjected to humiliating treatment after her arrest.
According to the family, she was forced to strip naked in front of male police officers without any female officers present. They say the experience left her distraught.
“As Brooke’s mother, I am deeply concerned for her welfare,” her mother, Thereza, said in a statement released by advocacy group Detained in Dubai.
“The daughter I spoke to that night was utterly terrified. I firmly believe she was desperately trying to get home and away from whatever had happened to her.”
Advocacy group calls for bail
George’s family is being represented by Detained in Dubai, an organization that assists foreign nationals facing legal issues in the UAE.
The group’s CEO, Radha Stirling, said it is urging authorities to treat the incident as a potential domestic abuse case and to release George on bail while the investigation continues.
Stirling also said her organization has represented women who alleged they were lured to Dubai with promises of work, luxury lifestyles or romantic relationships before experiencing exploitation, coercion or violence.
At this stage, George’s account of the incident and the allegations about her treatment in custody have not been independently verified. Dubai authorities have not publicly commented on those claims.
