Belgian Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Morocco for Child Rape Charges

A blow for Belgian national Marc Moerman. On Tuesday evening, the Meknes Court of Appeal sentenced him to five years in prison, reports La Dernière Heure. This judgment follows the annulment by the Court of Cassation in March of the conviction of the Belgian to eight years in prison, tried on appeal in Morocco for the rape of his son and stepchildren. On April 14, 2022, the court of first instance in Meknes had sentenced him to three years in prison. The Belgian has been incarcerated in Morocco for two years for acts of sexual abuse.

To read: Belgian Man’s Rape Conviction in Morocco Overturned, New Trial Set

The legal troubles of this chemical engineer began after he went to Morocco in November 2021, accompanied by his lawyer, in the hope of recovering his son. His Moroccan ex-wife Samira S. had taken the child to Morocco despite a ban from the Belgian justice system. Upon arriving in Morocco, the Belgian was arrested and then incarcerated in the Toulal 2 prison on December 6. As in Belgium, his ex-wife had accused him of sexual abuse in Morocco. Accusations that the fifty-year-old has always strongly denied.