A 16-Year-Old Moroccan Girl Brings Down a French Multimillionaire

The trial of Jacques Bouthier is drawing closer. In a submission issued in mid-August, the Paris prosecutor’s office requested that he, along with four other people, be sent before a departmental criminal court. The former head of Assu 2000, now Vilavi, is notably being prosecuted for human trafficking involving a minor, rape of a minor and criminal conspiracy.

At the center of the case is Aïcha, an assumed name. The young Moroccan was 16 when she arrived in France, without a residence permit and in a situation of severe hardship. Jacques Bouthier is accused of housing her in exchange for sexual relations before keeping her in a system of forced prostitution.

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The young woman eventually trapped the multimillionaire by filming him naked in bed with a 14-year-old Romanian teenager. She then handed the footage over to the police and filed a complaint. This led to Jacques Bouthier being placed under formal investigation in May 2022 and to the collapse of the man who was among the 500 wealthiest French people.

One million euros to hush up the complaint

During the investigation, the 79-year-old businessman consistently denied the accusations of rape and trafficking. However, according to the submission reviewed by RTL, which cited AFP, he acknowledged taking advantage of the vulnerability of young women whom he housed in exchange for sexual relations.

The public prosecutor’s office believes that he used his money and influence to keep the young Moroccan under his control. For Aïcha’s lawyer, these submissions represent an essential step, after years during which the main complainant’s account was challenged.

The case also includes a separate aspect involving alleged corruption. Intermediaries and police officers were allegedly approached to make the complaint disappear and arrange for the victim’s return to Morocco. The operation was allegedly financed by a transfer of one million euros. The prosecutor’s office is requesting that five people stand trial before the criminal court in this part of the case.

On Bladi.net : Moroccan Court Seeks French Cooperation in Jacques Bouthier Sex Trafficking Case

This French proceeding comes in addition to the Moroccan aspect of the case, which was opened after complaints by former employees of Jacques Bouthier’s companies in Tangier. The final decision now rests with the investigating judge, who will have to determine whether the former insurance magnate and the other defendants under formal investigation will actually appear before a criminal court.