Moroccan Singer Saad Lamjarrad in Court to Face Rape Charges
Rabat – Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred is set to return to the Court of Appeal in Paris for the alleged rape of Laura Prioul, a French national.
The decision to re-open the case comes months after the court ruled that Lamjarred should appear before the criminal court for his alleged involvement in the rape of Prioul, who accused him of violently raping her.
Prioul’s case dates back to October 26, 2016.
The French woman said that the singer “ruined” her life, claiming that Saad Lamjarred had raped and beaten her after she “refused him.”
Initially, an investigating judge ruled in April 2019 that rape was not “absolutely characterized” in Prioul’s case.
The judge redefined the charges against Lamjarred in April 2019 after a DNA test confirmed the absence of material evidence to prove him guilty.
If convicted on the rape charges, Saad Lamjarred will face 20 years in prison.
Prioul’s lawyer expressed satisfaction with the court’s decision.
Quoted by the AFP, the complainant’s lawyer said: “The Assize Court is the appropriate jurisdiction to judge the fact that my client was a victim.”
Lamjarred continues to deny all accusations against him.
French police first arrested Lamjarred in 2016. He spent six months in prison and left on bail in 2017 under electronic surveillance.
He was arrested again in 2018 after another French woman accused him of rape.
Police released him after paying a fine estimated at €150,000.
Saad Lamjarred also faced a rape charge in the US.
A few days ago Lamjarred released a song that attracted millions of viewers.
He has several renowned songs in the Middle East, including “Enta M’alem” and “Ghazali.”
