After nearly 7 years of investigations, hearings, and give and take, the Paris Criminal Court ruled, on Friday, February 24, that the Moroccan artist, Saad Lamjarred, would be imprisoned for 6 years following being convicted of “raping and beating” a young French woman in a hotel room in the capital, Paris, in October 2016.
To a hall full of admirers, curious people, and supporters of the young complainant, Laura, he arrived just free to hear the verdict, but he left the hall handcuffed to spend his first night in prison following being convicted of six years imprisonment.
Saad Lamjarred, according to the French media, received the news calmly, pale in color, as he got up and surrendered to the police.
The facts go back to October 2016, when he met Lamjarred, who is very famous in the Arab world, with a young woman who was no more than 20 years old at the time, in a luxurious nightclub in the capital, then they went to a party they attended with friends to end the night in Lamjarred’s room in a well-known hotel in central Paris.
According to the account presented by the young woman crying and trembling on the platform in court, the Moroccan star, who was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine, suddenly became violent as they kissed each other, before he raped and beat her. Lamjarred vehemently denied this throughout the sessions and only admitted that he “pushed Laura’s face following scratching his back.”
Once the verdict was issued, Liwa expressed its satisfaction with the verdict, while Lamjarred’s lawyers, who have ten days to appeal, said they would consider this possibility.
This case received great attention from the Arab community in France, some of whom moved to the spot and endured the trouble of waiting in long lines to enter the courtroom over the past five days, and some of them stood at the door of the criminal court for support or curiosity.
As soon as the verdict was issued, one group expressed its dissatisfaction with the duration, and another considered the court’s decision fair.
Gilles F., a young Frenchman in his thirties, residing in Paris and following the case, said in his statement to “Sky News Arabia” that “the word young woman corresponds to the word Moroccan artist, and therefore, six years, is considered a rather heavy sentence. The girl may take revenge for something once morest all men.” “.
And Claude B., who discovered the issue through the hearings, considers that “there is no smoke without fire.” He explains to “Sky News Arabia” that “the singer, who was prosecuted in very similar cases in New York, Casablanca and Saint-Tropez, and refuses to answer questions related to these charges, does not appear to be innocent of them, and the judiciary must take its course and do justice to the victim.”
For her part, Amna Al-Qadi, a Tunisian and a fan of Lamjarred’s art, regrets his fate, and she says to “Sky News Arabia,” “It saddens the soul that an artist with a great talent like him falls into this scandal. We were waiting for him to desperately defend and evidence. However, the evidence was all in favor of the girl. “.
As for Laila B., a Moroccan who is no more than 25 years old, and who attended the trial, she confirms to “Sky News Arabia” that “the victim’s steadfastness in her statements and Saad’s confusion and his retraction on some of his statements proves that she is right.”
And she continues, “If you wronged Saad Lamjarred, the truth may appear with the appeal or following years. We hope that the period will be shortened with Saad’s good conduct and behavior.”
As for Kagen Jego, a fiftieth Parisian, she does not sympathize with either party. She explains to Sky News Arabia, “They both made a mistake. She accompanied a person under the influence of drink and cocaine to a hotel room a few hours following they met, and he insisted on a sexual relationship despite Laura’s refusal. I think she bears responsibility as well.”
With regard to the French media, the written press contented itself with reporting the news without analyzing it, while the visual media ignored it, which is currently shedding light on the file of the French actor, Pierre Palmed, who has been indicted for a serious traffic accident that he caused under the influence of cocaine, and is now being targeted by an investigation. For possession of child pornography.
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