Appeal Court Tightens Child Rape Sentences

Rabat Appeal Court upped, early Friday, the sentences against two sex predators to ten years in prison each, while the main offender was given a twenty-year jail time for the rape and impregnation of Sanae, a 12-year-old girl from Tifelt.
The first two offenders were fined 40.000 MAD, while the third was fined 60.000 MAD.
The first instance court had sentenced the two first offenders to two years in prison (with remission) and the third, who caused the pregnancy, to two years in prison with no remission, even though the case involved a minor.
The sentencing had sparked controversy and outrage in the media and the public opinion since it was deemed “soft” by human rights advocates and netizens alike.
Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi had considered that the court went easy on the criminals over the excuse that they were first time offenders.