Initially sentenced to only 18 months and 2 years in prison, three men accused of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl in Morocco had their sentences increased by the Court of Appeal in Rabat. The original verdict had outraged public opinion with its leniency. One defendant was sentenced to 20 years in prison, while the other two received 10 years each. The victim, who suffered repeated rape under threat, received support from NGOs defending women’s rights. One of the defendants was found to be the biological father of the girl’s child, which resulted from the rape. The case has sparked a debate on the need for legal reform to better protect children once morest sexual violence in Morocco.
The three men had been sentenced at first instance to only 18 months and 2 years in prison, a verdict which had aroused the indignation of public opinion. They are accused of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl.
The Court of Appeal in Rabat, Morocco, increased the sentences of three men accused of repeatedly raping a young girl overnight from Thursday to Friday, following a verdict at first instance which had outraged public opinion with its leniency. One of the defendants was sentenced to 20 years in prison and the other two to 10 years each.
“Repeated rape under threat”
Sanae, an 11-year-old minor at the time of the incident and who is 12 today, “suffered repeated rape under threat” in a village near Rabat, which resulted in a pregnancy, according to NGOs from defense of women’s rights. She became the mother of a child aged one year and one month today.
“We are satisfied with the verdict which brought justice to the victim, that said we did not understand why two defendants received only 10 years each,” the victim’s lawyer Abdelfattah Zahrach told AFP. out of court.
The latter specifies that he is considering the appeal in cassation “following consultation with the family”.
Up to 30 years in prison
On March 20, one of the men was sentenced to two years in prison, the other two to 18 months, sentences whose leniency shocked public opinion.
As in the first instance, the three men were prosecuted on appeal for “misappropriation of a minor” and “indecent assault on a minor with violence”. The defendants, aged 25, 32 and 37, faced up to 30 years in prison, according to the Moroccan penal code.
Their sentences were accompanied by damages of a total of 140,000 dirhams (more than 12,500 euros) while at first instance, they were ordered to pay a total of 50,000 dirhams (4,500 euros).
The three defendants once more denied
“If it was possible I would have demanded the death penalty,” said the king’s prosecutor. Morocco has de facto abolished the death penalty, having carried out no executions since 1993.
For his part, Sanae “reiterated his testimony” before the court, lawyer Me Mohamed Sebbar told AFP.
Faced with questions from the judge, the prosecution and the civil party, the three defendants, on the other hand, denied en bloc. One of them, faced with the DNA test which proves that he is the biological father of Sanae’s child, was content to repeat: “I don’t know”.
The civil party claimed financial support for the girl until she reached majority by the Ministry of Solidarity.
A petition has collected 35,000 signatures
The case deeply moved public opinion, which denounced a “lax” and “shocking” first judgment. A petition to this effect has collected more than 35,000 signatures.
The excitement grew with the publication of the judgment at first instance in which it appears that the defendants benefited from mitigating circumstances.
This tragedy has revived the debate on the protection of children once morest sexual violence in the kingdom and the need to reform the laws.
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The case of the three men accused of repeatedly raping an 11-year-old girl in Morocco has finally come to a close with a new verdict handed down by the Court of Appeal. The initial verdict had outraged public opinion for its leniency, but the appeal has resulted in harsher sentences for the defendants. While justice has been served, this tragic event has reignited the discussion on the need for better protection of children from sexual violence and the importance of reforming laws to address these issues. The petition with over 35,000 signatures and the public outcry demonstrate the importance of holding perpetrators accountable and protecting vulnerable members of society.