Brooke George, a 23-year-old British TikTok influencer from Kent, is reportedly 'distressed' and 'suffering' in a Dubai prison while awaiting trial for the murder of her boyfriend, fellow Brit William 'Bill' Treeby, 26.
George, who has over 100,000 followers on TikTok, does not deny stabbing Treeby, but her legal team claims she acted in self-defence. She is currently held at Bur Dubai police station in Dubai, UAE, after her death penalty trial was delayed.
Family fears for her mental health
According to her family, George's mental health is deteriorating rapidly due to the conditions at the detention centre. Her mother, Tess, says bright lights remain on in every room, cries and screams from babies echo around the centre, and calls home are routinely interrupted. Medication to help her sleep has reportedly not been provided.
On October 7, George attended a court hearing in Arabic via video link, where prosecution witnesses had been summoned but failed to appear. The trial was adjourned until October 28, and the court ordered her to remain in detention while evidence is gathered from remaining witnesses.
Arrest and self-defence claim
George was arrested at Dubai International Airport the day after the fatal stabbing on June 21, but claims Treeby assaulted her in his apartment. Radha Stirling, founder of Detained in Dubai, is assisting the family and pleading for urgent medical care for George.
Stirling said: “Brooke is suffering terribly. Her family describes a young woman who is increasingly upset, unable to sleep and struggling to maintain even the briefest contact with home.
“Her mother is left wondering how much worse things will become before she hears her daughter’s voice again. Two minutes on the telephone, followed by an abrupt disconnection, is distressing for everyone involved.
“For Brooke, those calls are a lifeline. For her family, they are the only opportunity to hear how she is coping and offer some reassurance.
“Brooke remains in temporary police detention, with her family reporting constant bright lights, broken sleep and increasing distress. These facilities were never designed for long-term habitation.
“British citizens who were locked up there for only hours during the Iran strikes were terrified at the thought of spending days there, let alone months. She has been told she could receive medication to help her sleep, yet her mother says nothing has happened.
“These concerns need to be addressed now. Her health cannot be put on hold until the next court hearing.
“We will do everything we can to help. Brooke needs to know she has not been forgotten.
“Her family needs to be able to speak to her, and her worsening distress needs proper medical attention. Whatever the allegations, she is entitled to humane treatment while her case is heard.”
Past death at the same centre
In 2011, British tourist Lee Bradley Brown died at the detention centre while in police custody after being arrested for a verbal altercation with a housekeeper at the luxury Burj Al Arab hotel.
It was initially claimed that he died from choking on his own vomit, but a 2022 jury inquest revealed neglect and severe beatings from guards and inmates caused his death.
