Undocumented Moroccan Man Jailed for Domestic Violence and Violating Court Order in Montauban

Without a lawyer, the immediate appearance of Mohamed L., a 33-year-old Moroccan national, prosecuted for violence against his stepson and harassment against his wife in violation of his judicial supervision, had been postponed to January 28, reports La Dépêche du Midi. On Friday, he arrived again at the courthouse without a lawyer. "Do you have counsel?", asks presiding judge Laetitia Zabka. "I wrote during the week," the defendant says. "We find ourselves in the same situation. Do you want to be tried without a lawyer?", the judge asks. The defendant was ultimately tried without a lawyer.

Mohamed and his wife are in the process of getting divorced. In France without papers since 2015, he has committed several offenses, including violence against his stepson for which he had been placed under judicial supervision and harassment. "I did not file a civil party complaint for my son, because he threatened my mother in Morocco," the wife testifies, asking him to "leave her alone".

The thirty-year-old was arrested on January 2 in front of the family home in Montauban. "While the judge of freedoms and detention (JLD) does not revoke his judicial supervision, he reoffends four days later, by harassing his wife by telephone," says substitute prosecutor Emmanuel Ferrand. "We count 134 calls on January 6," specifies presiding judge Laetitia Zabka.

Responding to a question from the substitute prosecutor, the Moroccan says he came to France to get married. "And since then, you have committed two offenses per year!", exclaims Emmanuel Ferrand. The court rendered its judgment: Mohamed was sentenced to 12 months in prison with continued detention, and 6 months of probationary suspension. He will also have to pay 500 euros in moral damages to his wife and 2,000 euros to his stepson.