The body of a Moroccan teenager killed in a mugging in Canada to return to Morocco for burial.
By Shaquile Goff
Rabat – The family of an unnamed Moroccan teenager murdered in Canada is choosing to repatriate his body for the funeral.
The seventeen-year-old male was killed in an attempted robbery by two other teens that were arrested by police soon after. The body of the young Moroccan was found Monday night by Montreal police.
Police suspect the two accused teenagers placed the body in a way that made the death seem accidental at first in an attempt to cover the botched robbery, according to news sources in Canada.
Prosecutors are seeking to try the teens as adults if they are convicted. The judge presiding over the case has also placed a ban on publishing the names of the underaged victim and suspects.
A candlelight vigil was held for the boy on Wednesday night at a community center on Nun’s Island in Montreal, and over 500 people from his community attended. Mourad Bendjennet, head of the local Al Jazira Islamic Centre, organized the memorial service. The Moroccan Consulate General Habiba Zemmouri also attended the event, and the Moroccan Consulate will be covering the funeral and repatriation costs of the teen’s body.
Zemmouri stated that “[the homicide victim] is a son to us all. He is a son of Morocco. He is a son of Quebec,” and the widespread support of his community resulted in over $20,000 USD in donations by the end of the funeral.
