Rabat – Morocco’s Court of Appeals in Casablanca on Wednesday sentenced two defendants to 20 years in prison for their involvement in the murder of Thami Bennani, a 17-year-old boy whose mysterious disappearance has long puzzled his family.
The court found the two men guilty of premeditated murder as well as other charges, including intent to obstruct the course of justice in addition to making false statements during the investigation.
Thami Bennani’s mother was not fully satisfied with the court’s verdict, but “thanked God that they were at least brought to justice and confirmed guilty” for what happened to her son.
The prosecutor representing the victim at the court said they will be appealing the verdict, stressing that it is a light ruling for a murder charge.
The verdict comes a few days after the local prosecutor’s office confirmed that Thami Bennani was killed and that his head was separated from the rest of his body.
The body also showed bruises and several traces of violence.
Thami Bennani’s case dates back to 2007, when Thami left home after lunch with a group of friends in a car in Mohammedia.
At the time, Thami was a 17-year-old student in his second year of high school.
Since his disappearance, the victim’s mother has been looking for her son, turning to social media to publicize the case in an attempt to find answers for her son’s mysterious disappearance.
Heartbroken, the mother had been also sharing videos on social networks, unveiling information about her son’s disappearance
In a previous interview with Morocco World News, the mother said she had been calling on authorities to investigate her son’s and his friends’ phones, believing that it is the only possible way to unveil the truth behind Bennani’s disappearance.
She also paid tribute to Moroccans helping through social posts and hashtags to help her find her missing son.
