Glamour Girl’s Dubai Nightmare: Law Student, 23, Sentenced to 25 Years in Hellhole Prison Where Rape is ‘Every Day Occurrence’
- Mia O’Brien, a 23-year-old law student, faces a devastating 25-year sentence in a notorious Dubai prison
- She was caught with 50 grams of cocaine in an apartment, sparking a life-destroying ordeal
- The prison is infamous for its inhuman conditions, overcrowded cells, and brutal guards, where rape is an ‘every day occurrence’
Mia O’Brien, a 23-year-old law student from the United Kingdom, has been sentenced to 25 years in a hellhole Dubai prison, where rape is an ‘every day occurrence’, after being caught with 50 grams of cocaine.
In a heartbreaking development, Mia, who had dreams of becoming a lawyer or solicitor, pleaded not guilty to the charges, but was landed with the devastating sentence, along with a $136,000 fine.
“She was just given a life sentence and has to serve 25 years,” her distraught mother, Danielle McKenna, 46, said from her home in Merseyside, northwest England. “The trial was all in Arabic, and Mia was told of the sentence later by her lawyer.”
Danielle McKenna described her daughter as “absolutely devastated” by the outcome, which has destroyed her career chances. “Mia feels she has destroyed her life,” she said.
The mother revealed that Mia was caught with the drugs in an apartment, along with two other people, including her friend, who have been charged with drug-dealing.
Mia O’Brien is now being held at Dubai’s infamous Central Prison, known for its inhuman conditions, overcrowded cells, and brutal guards. According to a report from Human Rights Watch, rape is an “every day occurrence” at the lock-up, where both guards and inmates engage in violent assaults.
Mia’s mother said her daughter has described the prison conditions as “horrendous”, with no staff available to help, and fights breaking out regularly. “She’s seen fights and said she has been really scared,” she added.
Mia is due to appeal her life sentence in the coming weeks, and her mother has set up a fundraising campaign to cover her legal fees, after a previous GoFundMe page was shut down for violating terms.