Saad Lamjarred: his rape trial is interrupted before it even opens

The 40-year-old artist, who is appearing free, did not even have to appear in the Draguignan court. The decision was recorded by a referral order signed by a magistrate after consultation with the defense and civil party lawyers. While the accused’s judicial supervision is maintained, no new date could be set immediately, as the court’s schedule is already full until June 2026.

A seven-year-old case and a busy judicial schedule

This case concerns events that occurred in August 2018 in Saint-Tropez. A young woman, then a seasonal barmaid, accuses the singer of having raped her in his hotel room after a meeting in a nightclub. While the plaintiff describes a violent assault, claiming to have been held by the wrists, Saad Lamjarred categorically disputes this version and refers to a consensual relationship. A friend of the victim had nevertheless testified to having found her in a state of shock shortly after the alleged events.

This setback marks the second postponement of the year for the Moroccan star. Last June, his appeal trial for another rape case, dating back to 2016 and for which he was sentenced to six years in prison at first instance in Paris, had already been postponed. This Parisian aspect is also undergoing parallel developments, as the plaintiff and four other people are to be tried for attempted extortion, suspected of having demanded three million euros in exchange for the withdrawal of the complaint.