Spanish Court Upholds 8-Year Sentence for Moroccan Man in Girona Rape and Kidnapping Case

The Moroccan’s defense appealed the decision of the Girona court of first instance, arguing that the judge had violated the presumption of innocence of the accused and "poorly" assessed the forensic expertise. But the National Court dismissed the appeal, arguing that "there was no violation of the right to the presumption of innocence, as the court had assessed and weighed the evidence to convict the accused" to 8 years in prison in July 2021.

To read: Moroccan Man Faces 10-Year Sentence for Alleged Kidnapping and Abuse of Wife in Spain

The court then decided to replace the prison sentence with the expulsion of the Moroccan and ban him from entering Spain for a period of 8 years, considering that he had not integrated well in Spain. The facts for which he was convicted date back to January 1, 2015, when he found the bag forgotten by the victim in a nightclub in Blanes and demanded that she accompany him to his home before recovering it.

To read: Spanish Court Upholds Expulsion of Moroccan Student Over Security Concerns

Once in the house, located opposite the nightclub, the defendant took her to a bedroom and sexually assaulted her. He then threatened to call his friends to rape her if she didn’t stop screaming. The Moroccan held the victim captive for four hours, until she offered to go out for breakfast. The young woman then crossed in the street a relative who was looking for her and, with her back to the wall, the defendant fled.

The same day, the Mossos managed to apprehend him. As for the victim, she has since suffered from post-traumatic stress, sleep disorders and concentration problems. She no longer wants to go back to Blanes, as the city reminds her of the misadventure she experienced.