A BRITISH TikToker accused of killing her boyfriend in Dubai has still not been allowed to see a lawyer five days after her arrest, as a campaigner warns: “I cannot overstate how concerned I am.”
Brooke George, 23, from Gravesend, Kent, could face death by firing squad if convicted of murdering Bill Treeby, 26, at an apartment in the United Arab Emirates on Jattvibeday.
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British influencer Brooke George, 23, faces death by firing squad after she was arrested for murder Credit: Instagram
Brooke previously worked as a John Lewis shop assistant Credit: Tim Stewart
Brooke has been interviewed by police but has not had access to legal representation or a translator.
The former John Lewis worker, who built a following of more than 100,000 on TikTok by posting videos about her life and travels, claims she acted in self-defence after being attacked by Mr Treeby before the fatal incident.
Campaign group Detained in Dubai, which is supporting Brooke and her family, is urging the authorities to probe her allegations that she was the victim of domestic abuse.
Radha Stirling, chief executive of Detained in Dubai, said: “This case is deeply personal to me. “Years ago, I was the last person to speak to a man in Dubai before he was executed by firing squad.
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She is accused of fatally stabbing Bill Treeby, from Rainham, Kent Credit: Facebook
Brooke claims she was acting in self defence Credit: Tim Stewart
“We spoke just 30 minutes before his death, and I have never forgotten that conversation.
“Knowing Brooke is facing a charge that carries the death penalty, I cannot overstate how concerned I am for her.
“Brooke is just 23 years old. Only days ago she experienced what she describes as a terrifying and traumatic ordeal.
“Instead of receiving the legal and psychological support that would ordinarily be available to a young woman claiming she acted in self defence after alleged abuse, she remains without proper access to legal representation.
“Every day that passes places her at an even greater disadvantage.”Ms Stirling said the case echoed that of Irish woman Tori Towey, who was allowed to return home last year after being charged with attempted suicide following domestic abuse.
She said: “We also need to stop being in denial about the risks women face when they become entangled in the UAE’s criminal justice system.
“We’ve seen it with Tori Towey and many other women before her.
“Time and again, women who report abuse or say they acted to protect themselves find themselves facing an uphill battle within a system that often fails to recognise the realities of coercion and domestic violence.”
She has amassed nearly 100,000 followers on TikTok Credit: Instagram
She is originally from Kent Credit: Tim Stewart
Ms Stirling added: “Even if the authorities ultimately conclude that Brooke acted in self defence, the damage may already have been done.
“The legal process itself can take months or even years, and that process is traumatic in its own right. When people become caught up in events beyond their control in the UAE, the consequences can be devastating.
“Even those who are eventually released often leave with lasting psychological trauma, having endured imprisonment, uncertainty, separation from their families and the constant fear of what might happen next.
“That is why it is so important that Brooke receives immediate access to a lawyer, appropriate support and a fair, transparent process from the very beginning.”
A spokesman for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said: “We are supporting a British national detained in the UAE and are in contact with the local authorities and the family.”
Brooke remains in police custody while prosecutors decide whether to bring formal charges.
It comes after Brooke claimed she was forced to strip naked in front of male guards at one of the UAE’s most notorious prisons.
Her family told Detained in Dubai of the “deeply humiliating and distressing” moment she was forced to strip naked without a female officer present.
She faces death by firing squad if convicted of killing Bill Treeby Credit: Unknown
Brooke has not been allowed to see her lawyer Credit: TikTok
She is said to have broken down in tears while recounting the traumatic experience to loved ones.
It has also been revealed that Bill’s dad Jack was murdered by his own brother and nephews over 16 years ago.
Jack had been involved in a property row with his older brother Bill and his sons, George, 23, and Billy, 30, accusing the latter of “grassing” him up over benefit claims, KentOnline reported.
The trio mowed Jack down in a deliberate hit-and-run attack with a Range Rover near Maidstone and he died shortly after Christmas.
They were all found guilty of murder after a trial the following year.
