Tangier’s Appellate Court sentenced eight individuals on Wednesday in connection with a sexual scandal involving French national Jacques Bouthier, former Executive of the insurance company “Assu 2000,” and several of his collaborators in Morocco.
The defendants, including six Moroccan nationals (two of whom are women) and two French nationals, were sentenced to varying prison terms ranging from six months to ten years.
They were also ordered to pay fines ranging from 1,000 to 100,000 MAD ($100 – $10,000). They were convicted on charges of human trafficking, sexual harassment, inciting debauchery, and misprision of a felony.
The incident became public in June 2022 when former employees filed complaints in Tangier.
The allegations involve incidents of sexual harassment, threats, and intimidation that reportedly took place between 2016 and 2022 across several Moroccan branches of Assu 2000 under Bouthier’s leadership.
The Moroccan Association for Victims’ Rights (AMDV) and other civil society NGOs have expressed significant interest in the case, as well as six plaintiffs who joined the legal battle as civil parties.
The testimonies of those involved describe a work environment where systematic sexual harassment and intimidation were rampant. Victims testified that Bouthier prayed on socially-disadvantaged employees.