The mother of a British TikTok influencer who could face death by firing squad in Dubai has broken her silence, describing the ordeal as an "overwhelming and heartbreaking experience" for the family.
Mother's Plea for Help
Thereza, mother of 23-year-old Brooke George from Gravesend, Kent, has launched a JustGiving campaign to raise £75,000 to cover legal and travel costs. George is accused of murdering fellow Brit Bill Treeby, 26, at an apartment in Dubai on Sunday after meeting him online. The former John Lewis shop assistant, who has a million online followers, travelled to the UAE after connecting with Treeby on Facebook.
In a statement, Thereza said: "This has been an overwhelming and heartbreaking experience for our family. Brooke is a loving, ambitious young woman who has always embraced life with determination and believed the world was full of opportunities. Nothing ever held her back, and those who know her understand her kind heart and strong spirit."
Self-Defense Claim
Pressure group Detained in Dubai, representing George's family, claims she stabbed Treeby in self-defense after being repeatedly assaulted. It has since emerged that Treeby was facing cocaine charges and had a previous conviction for attacking a woman. Treeby, whose father Jack, 43, was murdered in a hit-and-run in 2009, received a suspended prison sentence for wounding and common assault at Maidstone Crown Court in 2023. He was due to stand trial next year for allegedly conspiring to supply cocaine and cannabis worth £80,000.
Treeby was one of seven suspects charged after an investigation by Kent Police's County Lines and Gangs Team.
Arrest and Detention
George is being held at the Bur Dubai police station. She described her first visit to Dubai as "the time of my life," but on her second trip in June, she allegedly accused Treeby of booking her a one-way ticket, taking her passport, and attacking her. A fight reportedly broke out at a flat after a night out, and she claims she reached for a kitchen knife to defend herself. She arranged a flight home with friends' help but was arrested at Dubai International Airport in the early hours of June 22.
After her arrest, she claims she was denied a lawyer and forced to strip naked in front of male officers, describing the experience as "deeply humiliating and distressing." She has been interviewed but reportedly has not had access to a lawyer or translator.
Concerns Over Death Penalty
Radha Stirling, CEO of Detained in Dubai, expressed grave concern: "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. 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."
Stirling added: "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."
She also noted an increase in reports of women being lured to Dubai with promises of luxury lifestyles, only to allege later they were subjected to sexual exploitation.
The Foreign Office said: "We are in touch with a British woman detained in the UAE."
