Moroccan Woman Dies After Brutal Assault and Immolation in Fez

Last Ramadan, the young Hayat was returning home to Fez, from Casablanca where she works, when an individual intercepted her at the bus station. She had planned to spend the Eid al-Fitr holidays with her mother.

Kidnapped by force, the young girl was taken to an isolated house, in the Ouled Taieb region. In this isolated place, the victim suffered the worst physical and sexual abuse. Her tormentor then sprayed her with gasoline, before setting fire to her body, causing very serious burns. He then took her to the emergency room of the Fez CHU.

The criminal claimed that she was his wife and that the burns had been caused by the explosion of a gas cylinder. But his alibi did not hold up for long, as the victim eventually recounted the true version of the facts, despite her critical condition. Alerted by the hospital security service, the police managed to arrest the individual.

The preliminary investigation, conducted with the main accused, revealed the presence of other accomplices in this criminal act, in particular the brother and the wife of the accused. They are being prosecuted for failing to ensure the protection of the young girl or to alert the security services to the act planned by the criminal.