Homosexuality and Offense to Islam: French Teacher Faces Heavy Prison Sentence in Morocco

The court of first instance in Kénitra handed down its verdict last week, after three years of proceedings and nineteen hearings. The French national was sentenced to eighteen months in detention, along with a fine of 100,000 dirhams. Moroccan justice, whose decision is reported by the newspaper Assabah, found her guilty of "violation of religious values" and "violation of public decency." The conviction includes an obligation to undergo psychological support while in prison, a ban on approaching the two minors involved for five years following her release, and payment of one symbolic dirham to the complainant parents.

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The case erupted when a couple decided to file a complaint against the teacher. The parents accused her of making insulting remarks about the Muslim religion and of discussing the topic of homosexuality in class with their children, who were under eighteen years old. During the investigation conducted by the judicial police, student testimonies were collected to support the accusations. Before investigators and judges, the teacher, assisted by a translator during hearings, consistently and firmly denied all the charges against her.

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This court decision has provoked anger and bewilderment among part of the educational community. Several parents and former students have publicly defended the accused, organizing a gathering in front of the school to denounce what they call a "settling of scores." These supporters emphasize the teacher’s professionalism and commitment throughout her career. The French Mission’s administration had suspended her from her duties as early as 2023, the period when she was about to claim her retirement rights after decades of teaching.