Morocco Gang Rape Trial Delayed: 12 Men Accused in Khadija Case Face June Hearing

Eagerly awaited by all, this trial which opened at the Beni Mellal court (central Morocco) on Tuesday has been postponed to June 25. According to Me Ibrahim Hachane, the counsel for young Khadija, who spoke to AFP, "the trial has been postponed for next month after the defense lawyers and the victim’s lawyer, who has joined the civil party, requested more time to prepare."

In the opinion of the civil party’s lawyers, the accused, who number 12 men in total, are facing serious risks. They could face up to 30 years in prison. It should be noted that in this same month of June, specifically on June 11, according to AFP, "another defendant will be tried separately in camera, as he was a minor at the time of the events."

Reminder of the facts

Last August, the whole country was alerted by this painful case that had upset more than one person. Khadija, a 17-year-old girl, was the easy prey of 12 young men. This girl would have been raped, tortured and sequestered for nearly 2 months by a group of young men from her village of Oulad Ayad, near Beni Mellal.

Even today, the victim bears the scars of these difficult moments spent in the hands of her tormentors. "The burn marks from cigarettes and the tattoos inflicted by her attackers continue to haunt the body and mind of the defenseless young peasant woman," notes AFP, specifying that "the 12 accused, aged between 19 and 29, are being prosecuted for ’human trafficking’, ’rape’, ’constitution of an organized gang’ or ’kidnapping and sequestration’."