The Paris Assize Court on Friday (February 24th) sentenced Moroccan star singer Saad Lamjarred to six years in prison, convicted of raping and beating a young woman in a hotel room in the capital in October 2016. After seven hours of deliberation, the court decided “convinced” rape, “describes consistently and accurately” by the civil party, Laura P., since her complaint. A warrant of committal has been issued, and Saad Lamjarred will therefore be detained immediately. On Thursday, the Advocate General had requested seven years in prison and a five-year ban from French territory.
The facts date back to October 2016. Laura P. had met the 37-year-old singer, extremely popular in the Arab world, in a posh nightclub in the capital, and had followed him in a first “after” then to his hotel. For the court, there is no doubt that she followed him “voluntarily” and intended to “flirting”, said the president, Frédérique Aline. On the spot, they had discussed, danced, and had kissed, before the singer became ” suddenly “ violent and that he rapes and beats her according to the account given by Laura P., 20 years old at the time, at the hearing.
“Evolving statements” of the accused
Saad Lamjarred firmly denies any sexual penetration, and just admits having, for “reflex”, “brutally pushed the face” of Laura P. who would suddenly have it “scratched” as they undressed.
President Frédérique Aline underlined in her verdict the declarations “variable and evolving” of him who was “massively alcoholic” and on cocaine. During the investigation, he explained that Laura P. was “stuffed” – she does not drink alcohol – then that she had wanted to extort money from him, to finally tell the audience that she “must have been wrong”. She further notes that“no scratches” was found on the body of Saad Lamjarred while Laura P. did receive blows.
Laura P., who according to psychiatric reports has no tendency to “confabulation” but showed real signs of post-traumatic syndrome, “could not confuse acts of penetration with a simple gesture to push his face away”said the president.
In his last words to the court in the morning, Saad Lamjarred had one last time challenged ” from the bottom of the heart “ any sexual relationship. A “persistence in denying the alleged facts” who played in the choice of sentence, according to the court, also mentioning “oversized ego” And “intolerance to frustration, especially sexual frustration” of the singer noted in the psychiatric expertise.
Other charges
Finally, the court underlined the “impact on the victim”amplified by the notoriety of the accused, believing that she had suffered a “genuine bullying” on social networks.
Laura P.’s lawyers hailed a “remarkable decision that corresponds to reality”in the words of M.e Jean-Marc Descoubes. Those of Saad Lamjarred, Jean-Marc Fedida and Thierry Herzog, said they had to ” to reflect on “ before deciding on a potential appeal.
The singer is the subject of several other rape charges which he refused to discuss at the hearing. He will be tried before the Assizes of Var, accused of having raped in his hotel room a young woman met in a nightclub in Saint-Tropez, in 2018.