Saad Lamjarred appears again before French justice for “aggravated rape”

Yemen

Yemen – Follow-ups

On December 1, the famous Moroccan artist Saad Lamjarred will appear again before French justice, accused of aggravated rape linked to an incident dating back to August 2018 in Saint-Tropez, an accusation he still denies.

According to the newspaper Le Parisien, this affair highlights a previous case which caused a lot of noise. In February 2023, the Paris criminal court sentenced Lamjarred to six years in prison for aggravated rape, despite his constant insistence in denying it. He was then suspended for a short period, before being released in April 2023. As for his appeal trial, which was to begin on June 2 in Val-de-Marne, it was postponed without revealing the reasons.

Later, new data emerged that affected the progress of the case. On May 18, a psychologist informed the criminal court that he had received a confession from the artist during a treatment session, prompting the court to issue a decision to open a further investigation and listen to the expert.

The most notable development was the revelation of an extortion attempt targeting Lamjarred before the start of the trial, in which – according to the defense – the complainant herself was involved. The first investigation carried out by the Val-de-Marne police confirmed that the artist had been the subject of a request for a change of position from the complainant in exchange for the payment of 3 million euros. The events resulted in the referral of six people to the Paris Criminal Court for attempted extortion and the formation of a gang of criminals.

The list of defendants in the blackmail case includes an unusual lineup: Laura – the plaintiff, her mother, an influential activist on social networks, her brother, a prisoner convicted in a rape case, and a lawyer registered with the Paris bar. In this case, Saad Lamjarred will become a civil party.

Saad Al-Majarred will be presented before the Var judicial court, a preliminary hearing is scheduled for December 10 and the trial should open in March, according to “Le Parisien”.

Aggravated rape is rape in which circumstances make the punishment more severe than ordinary rape. This qualification is met if the crime was committed with extreme violence or the threat of a weapon, or if the victim was a minor or incapable of defending himself. This also includes cases committed by more than one person, or in which the perpetrator has authority or is related to the victim. It can also escalate to aggravated rape if it results in serious injury or even death. In this case, the penalties are heavier and can go up to life imprisonment.

Yemen