French Lawyer Drops Complaint, Alleged Attackers Released in Morocco

The four accused, identified as the sons of Moroccan businessmen, have left the local Oukacha prison where they had been in pre-trial detention for about five months, according to Al3omk.

The release was motivated by the plaintiff’s presentation of a written renunciation of her complaint. On the basis of this document, the public prosecutor’s office considered that the legal guarantees were in place for the accused to be prosecuted while at liberty as the investigation continues.

The case had begun with the filing of a complaint by the French lawyer accusing three people of rape and physical assault against her and her Moroccan partner, a senior executive of the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises (CGEM). The latter had also filed a complaint. The alleged facts would have occurred following a party in a villa located in the Aïn Diab area. The initial accusations targeted acts qualified as rape, kidnapping, violence and complicity.

In a separate case, the plaintiff’s former fiancé is currently serving a four-month prison sentence. His conviction is related to offensive remarks made against a defense lawyer during a telephone call that had leaked, and not to the alleged rape and kidnapping.

The judicial procedure regarding the initial accusations of rape and kidnapping continues despite the provisional release of the accused.