Moroccan Serial Rapist Sentenced to 12 Years in Montpellier, Avoids Deportation

According to Attorney General Philip Ughetto, Lahcen Aghrod is "a raging sexual predator", "a lone wolf who stalks his prey" and shows "rare violence, terrible ferocity". The latter was asking the Hérault Assize Court for a 13-year prison sentence. Aghrod was prosecuted for two rapes and five sexual assaults or attempted assaults. His victims were young women. He attacked them, during the summer of 2015, always at night.

The Lengadoc-info site describes one of his assaults: "On August 2, 2015, on Rue Marceau in Montpellier, a young woman is returning home followed by a man. When she enters her building, the individual grabs her by the neck, throws her to the ground and begins to expose his genitals. Terrified, the young woman starts screaming and her cries will alert the neighbors who arrive but the aggressor manages to flee". Another assault is cited by the Midi Libre site, quoting one of the victims’ lawyers: "She fought like a lioness, emphasizes Me Marie-Laure Lapetina. She bit him and tried to strangle him while he was biting her and trying to strangle her. He almost tore off her lower lip. This man destroyed her life in 45 minutes".

The court ultimately sentenced him to 12 years in prison with a 5-year socio-judicial follow-up obligation and a 5-year prison sentence if he did not comply with his obligation to receive care. But he will not be banned from the territory given his mental health problems.