‘88 Stitches Case': Kenitra Court of Appeal Sentences Aggressor to 2.5 Years in Prison
Doha – The Kenitra Court of Appeal handed down a sentence of two and a half years in prison to a man convicted of severely disfiguring and mutilating a young woman's face on Friday, June 13.
The verdict overturns a much lighter sentence of two months in prison and a MAD 3,000 ($300) fine initially issued by the court of first instance in Mechraa Belksiri, a town in Sidi Kacem province, in the Rabat-Sale-Kenitra region, on May 27.
The original ruling had provoked widespread condemnation from women's rights organizations and the general public.
The case, known as the '88 Stitches Case,' had sparked national outrage due to the brutality of the attack and the initial lenient sentence. With the new verdict, the appeal court also ordered the perpetrator to pay the victim MAD 200,000 ($20,000) in civil compensation.
According to court documents, the accused had violently struck the victim, a cafe waitress named Khadija, in the face with a glass object. The assault left her with a deep gash requiring 88 stitches and causing permanent scarring. The vicious attack had left Khadija unable to work for 35 days.
In a heartbreaking video that went viral after the first verdict, the visibly distraught victim expressed her anguish and disbelief. 'Only two months? My face is irreparably damaged. I've been humiliated!' she cried out, her pain resonating deeply with the public.
Following the initial ruling, the Democratic Association of Moroccan Women (ADFM) expressed 'great regret' and 'deep concern' in a statement.
The NGO warned that this was not an isolated case, but rather 'a recurring pattern in many incidents where women, especially those in situations of social and economic vulnerability, are exposed to various forms of violence without being able to benefit from their right to criminal justice.'
Many voices, from civil society organizations to ordinary citizens, had called for the application of Article 507 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which severely punishes any intentional harm to physical integrity resulting in mutilation or disfigurement.
Law No. 103.13 on combating violence against women, enacted in 2018, also provides for harsher penalties in cases of brutality that violate a woman's dignity, health, or bodily integrity.
On social media, users hailed the new verdict as an important step towards ensuring such assaults do not go unpunished.
Speaking after the verdict, Khadija expressed her happiness with what she considers 'justice from the Moroccan judiciary.' She thanked her legal team and all those who supported her, affirming, 'Our country is one of truth and law, and finally, I have gotten my rights.' Tags: Moroccan courtMorocco's judicial system
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