Belgian Court to Rule on Moroccan Brothers Accused of Harassing Sister over Relationship

The facts date back to 2021. Chayma, 20 years old, a young woman, "victim of a malaise, leads a suicide attempt with Tradonal," reports Sud Info. She escapes death. She tells her older sister that she has fallen in love with a young man named Adam with whom she plans to start a life. But her family - her older brothers Bilal and Ayoub - disapprove of their relationship. The young woman leaves the family home to live with her partner. On Thursday, Jean-Philippe Mayence, Bilal’s lawyer, defended his client before the court: "Put yourselves in the place of this family. They don’t know this boy, they see their daughter who is trying to commit suicide, who is dropping out of school: it’s normal, I’m sorry, that the brothers want to know more about this young man."

Since 2021, the two brothers have had no news of their young sister. "We don’t know if she’s still alive, if she’s happy," the two accused brothers confirm. Bilal gives his version of the facts. "Our parents had gone to Morocco, following a death in the family. Yes, I wanted to see Adam, to know who he was. And I was very badly received, with insults and disrespect," Bilal confesses from the stand. Information confirmed by his brother Ayoub. A few days later, Bilal goes back to Gougnies, knocks on the door: "I called to see if anyone was there," he says. But surveillance camera images of the first meeting contradict his version.

"This young woman is of legal age, she has the right to live as she chooses, with the man she has chosen," the King’s prosecutor said, noting that Chayma was clearly under the control of her family who imposed their choices on her. Here we focus on the facts of harassment, "to the point that the young woman and her companion had to flee the day after one of Bilal’s visits. This is not trivial," he adds. The public prosecutor’s office is requesting eight months in prison for both accused brothers, "without being opposed to probation." The verdict is expected on June 8.