France: A Moroccan man sentenced after threatening to bury his daughter in a forest

On April 2nd, Sarah (a pseudonym), a 12-year-old student, was summoned by the school’s disciplinary officer for the theft of a phone. Terrified by the arrival of her father, she confided to the staff: "If he comes to get me, I’m dead." Upon his arrival, Omar confirmed the teenager’s fears by proposing three radical "solutions" in front of the witnesses: placement in a foster home, forced repatriation to Morocco, or the burial of his daughter in a forest.

On Bladi.net: For a simple Ramadan cake, he threatens to kill his wife: the verdict has been handed down

At the court hearing this Tuesday, April 7th, the man tried to plead incomprehension, claiming that his words were not threats but a clumsy question. According to La Dépêche, the investigation also revealed physical violence that occurred in March. The defendant admitted to having hit the teenager in a car after finding her at a major’s home: "A blow was struck. It was the first and last time," he said.

This business owner, whose criminal record includes 13 mentions, including two for violence, was described as a parent "overwhelmed" by his defense. Faced with a child deemed difficult by the educational team, he acknowledged being more severe with her than with his other children. For her part, the young girl’s lawyer insisted on her client’s state of permanent stress, denouncing a family environment that had become toxic for her.

On Bladi.net: "Insults are our language": in Narbonne, a Moroccan man sentenced to 20 months in prison

The court ultimately followed the prosecution’s recommendations, sentencing the man in his forties to 12 months in prison, 6 of which were suspended. The firm part of the sentence will be arranged under electronic surveillance to allow him to maintain his professional activity. Omar is now formally prohibited from contacting his daughter for the duration of his sentence.