The mother of a British influencer accused of murder in Dubai has made an emotional appeal as her daughter faces the possibility of the death penalty if found guilty.
Brooke George, 23, has been charged over the death of a British man she reportedly connected with on Facebook while she was in the UAE. Campaign group Detained in Dubai says she acted in self-defence, alleging the relationship had become abusive.
George was stopped at Dubai International Airport as she attempted to fly back to Britain after the charge was brought, and she is reported to be being held at Bur Dubai jail while the case moves through the UAE courts.
Under UAE law, premeditated murder can carry the death penalty, although capital sentences are uncommon and any punishment would still have to go through the country’s court process. Executions in the UAE are carried out only after formal legal procedures are completed.
Her mother, Tess George, has urged authorities to show mercy.
“Don’t make my little girl face the firing squad.”
Tess said her daughter had spent several days in an overcrowded police cell with 10 women and claimed she had not yet been allowed to speak with a lawyer.
She described her daughter’s situation in stark terms.
“She doesn’t speak Arabic, doesn’t know what has been said, what she signed. She has no clue.
“They won’t tell her, they won’t converse with her, or even ask her about her safeguarding issues.
“As you can imagine, she is terrified. She’s vulnerable. She doesn’t know what to do.”
The family says that before her arrest on June 23, George contacted them while in distress after she was allegedly attacked by the man.
In comments shared through Detained in Dubai, Tess said her daughter had appeared noticeably different the day before the incident.
“The day before the incident, she did not seem like herself. She was quieter and not her usual happy, cheerful self, but she did not tell me why.
“When I spoke to Brooke right after the incident, she was absolutely terrified. I have never seen my daughter so frightened in my life.
“She was crying uncontrollably. I could see that one of her eyes was badly swollen and was beginning to close.”
Tess also said she was ‘deeply concerned’ about her daughter’s wellbeing, adding that George had been ‘desperately trying to get home’ and away from the man.
She alleges her daughter was ‘subjected to a violent assault and in genuine fear for her safety’.
Detained in Dubai says the case should be treated as one involving domestic abuse and has called for George to receive medical care, legal representation and urgent consular support while proceedings continue.
The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office has said it is supporting a British national detained in the UAE and remains in contact with the authorities there and the family.
The UAE government does not routinely comment on individual criminal cases.