Moroccan Court Upholds 15-Year Sentence for Journalist in Sexual Abuse Case

Taoufik Bouachrine had been sentenced to 12 years in prison in November 2018. A sentence that was increased in October 2019. The highest Moroccan court deemed "inadmissible" "the requests to review the prison sentence imposed on him". His prison sentence was accompanied by a total of 2.5 million dirhams in damages for the eight plaintiffs.

In its indictment, the public prosecutor had requested a 20-year prison sentence accompanied by a fine of one million dirhams. Barely had his conviction been pronounced when one of the accused’s lawyers had indicated that his client would appeal in cassation, considering that his conviction "was not based on any element".

The lawyers for the civil parties also intend to appeal in cassation because, according to them, the compensation awarded to the victims is "not commensurate with the damage suffered".