A TikTok influencer with almost 100,000 followers is facing the death penalty in Dubai after being charged with the murder of her boyfriend.
Brooke George, 23, from Gravesend in Kent, claims she grabbed a knife in self-defence after being violently assaulted by a British man in the UAE.
If convicted, she could face execution under UAE laws.
Brooke George is a Kent-based influencer, documenting beauty routines and nights out, with almost 100,000 followers.
The former John Lewis shop assistant met a man on Facebook and travelled to Dubai to see him.
Photos posted on Ms George’s Instagram show her posing in front of the Gulf City skyline just weeks before the alleged murder.
She had described the first visit as “the time of my life” but her life took a tragic turn on the second visit.
It was during this trip that Ms George was bought a one-way ticket, asked to participate in a swimwear photo shoot, and had her passport withheld by the man, according to chief executive of the human rights group Detained in Dubai, Radha Stirling.
The man allegedly became “controlling and abusive”, according to Ms Stirling, leaving Ms George fearing for her life.
Ms George’s mother Thereza said: “After Brooke returned to Dubai for the second time, the dynamic between them had clearly changed.
“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.
Ms Stirling said that in the build-up, the family and friends of Brooke George were becoming “increasingly concerned” that she had been led to Dubai under false pretences for exploitation.
‘Fearing for her life’
Detained in Dubai said Ms George and the man met in a bar in Jumeirah Village before returning to the man’s apartment where he allegedly assaulted her.
The man is believed to have been intoxicated.
Following the assault, Ms George contacted her family and arranged a flight home.
Her mother said: “That evening they went to a bar in Dubai. 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.”
When Ms George returned to the apartment to collect her passport, she found her belongings had been thrown across the room and her passport was being withheld from her.
It was claimed that Ms George begged for her passport, but was repeatedly punched by the man. Ms George said she acted in self-defence and used a kitchen knife to stab the man to death.
Ms Stirling said: “[George] reached for a knife after being attacked and punched in the face. Authorities must treat her as a domestic violence survivor while they investigate.”
Ms George was arrested at the airport on June 22 when she attempted to flee the UAE and was taken to Bur Dubai police station. She has been accused of premeditated murder.
At the police station, Detained in Dubai said Ms George was in a “bruised and battered” state, and was forced to strip naked in front of male officers without any female officers present.
The experience was described by Ms George as “deeply humiliating and distressing”.
She was also forced to make statements in the absence of a lawyer and received little explanation of the proceedings, Detained in Dubai said.
Ms Stirling said in recent years, there had been increasing reports of British women being “lured to Dubai with promises of luxury lifestyles, paid work, holidays, or romantic relationships.”
A lot of these women were then subject to sexual exploitation, coercion and other degrading treatment, Ms Stirling said.
She added: “Brooke maintains that she acted only after being subjected to a violent assault and in genuine fear for her safety. She should be treated not merely as an accused person, but as a presumed victim of violence whose allegations and documented injuries deserve proper investigation.
“We will be working to ensure that her rights are protected, that she receives a fair trial, and that the circumstances leading to this tragedy are fully and impartially examined.
“Rather than treating Brooke solely as a murder suspect, investigators must also examine her being the victim of serious violence and possible exploitation. She should be afforded protection, appropriate medical care, legal representation and immediate British consular assistance while the investigation proceeds.”
A spokesman for the Foreign Office said: “We are in touch with a British woman detained in the UAE, we are supporting her family, and we are in contact with the local authorities.”
