The Paris Assize Court delivered its verdict this Friday, at the end of a five-day trial which will have seen two versions clash: that of the 37-year-old Moroccan star, on the one hand, and that of Laura P., the young Frenchwoman who accused him of having raped and hit her in October 2016, in her hotel room.
The Paris Assize Court was not at all convinced by the version of Saad Lamjarred who just admitted “ an involuntary violent reflex “. The artist claims to have only ” brutally pushed Laura’s face away as the young woman suddenly scratched him as they kissed and undressed. This morning, when he was given the floor one last time, the singer begged the court to believe him, repeating this time in French, whereas until now he had only spoken in English and Arabic, “ I never, ever penetrated Laura “.
A constant and precise narrative
But in its verdict, the court noted the absence of scratches on the singer’s back and the injuries of Laura P., 20 years old at the time. She also notes that from day one, the young woman – who doesn’t tend to “ storytelling and has real signs of post-traumatic syndrome, according to psychiatric experts – describes the rape ” consistently and precisely ” while he changed his version several times. As the investigation progressed, Saad Lamjarred explained that Laura P. was “ drunk – 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 “. Another element retained by the court: the testimonies of hotel employees who saw the young woman leave the star’s room in “ State of shock “.
To set Saad Lamjarred’s sentence, the court took into account his clean record and respect for his judicial control, but also his ” persistence in denying the facts “, her ” oversized ego ” And “ intolerance to frustration, especially sexual noted by a psychiatric expert. By seven votes out of nine, it condemns him to six years in prison. The Advocate General had demanded seven years’ imprisonment and a five-year ban from French territory. The accused faced 20 years.
The relief of the victim
The public, made up of the singer’s fans and the curious who thronged the benches of the small crowded courtroom, silently welcomed the statement of the verdict. The Moroccan star does not react. Very pale, Saad Lamjarred seems stunned. Laura P. collapses in tears in her mother’s arms.
Later, she confided to RFI that she felt ” relieved “to finally be recognized” victim “. ” I spoke for myself, but also for all the others. I hope this opened their eyes. Yes, it’s long. Yes, it’s hard. But it is not impossible “, declares the young woman very moved. Targeted by several other rape charges, Saad Lamjarred must in particular be tried by the assizes of the Var. His lawyers declined to comment on the verdict of the Paris Assize Court. They have ten days to appeal.