A British influencer, Brooke George, 23, who faces a potential firing squad in Dubai for allegedly stabbing a fellow Briton, has claimed she was subjected to abuse while in custody. George alleges she was forced to strip naked in front of male prison guards at the Bur Dubai Police Station, described as one of the emirate's most notorious jails.
George, a former John Lewis shop assistant, is accused of stabbing a 26-year-old British man, understood to be William Treeby, with a kitchen knife at his apartment. Prosecutors allege she committed murder, while George claims she acted in self-defense after being repeatedly attacked by Treeby.
Her family, supported by the advocacy group Detained in Dubai, reported the alleged ordeal. They stated George described the experience as deeply humiliating and distressing, highlighting a language barrier that has left her with little information about the legal proceedings and forcing her to make statements without a lawyer present.
According to the advocacy group, George had booked a flight home and was allegedly punched in the face when she attempted to retrieve her passport. Detained in Dubai claims Treeby assaulted George before she used self-defense while trying to escape. The group's chief executive, Radha Stirling, stated that authorities should treat George as a domestic violence survivor.
The Foreign Office confirmed it is in contact with a British woman detained in the UAE and is supporting her family while liaising with local authorities. The victim has not yet been formally identified by Dubai authorities, according to the Foreign Office.
George's family recounted that she first met Treeby during a trip to Dubai in May after connecting on Facebook. They described him as initially being very friendly and even arranging a professional photoshoot. However, on a subsequent visit in June, she allegedly accused him of booking her a one-way ticket, confiscating her passport, and becoming controlling and violent when she tried to return to the UK. Her mother stated that George called her in a panic, desperate to leave the UAE.
George reportedly claims Treeby assaulted her in a car after a night out before continuing the attack at his flat. Fearing for her life, she alleges she grabbed a kitchen knife and stabbed him. She then reportedly retrieved her passport and attempted to flee the UAE but was arrested at Dubai airport and charged with murder.
In tributes, Treeby's family expressed their heartbreak, with his sister calling him her best friend and his mother stating she was broken. George's family, however, maintain she was terrified and acted in self-defense, with her mother noting her daughter appeared visibly distressed and injured after the incident.
Detained in Dubai has suggested that cases like George's reflect a pattern of young British women being lured to Dubai with promises of romance and luxury, only to face exploitation.