Doha – A surprsing twist emerged in the high-profile Bennis-Alj-Slaoui case on Friday as the plaintiff, French lawyer Sixtine Felix, withdrew her rape complaint against Kamil Bennis in Casablanca’s Court of Appeal.
The case, which has been ongoing for several months, involves Bennis and two other defendants, M’hamed Alj and Saâd Slaoui, who have been held in preventive detention at Oukacha prison in Casablanca since November.
According to Moroccan news outlet Le360, Felix appeared before an investigating judge at the Casablanca Court of Appeal accompanied by her lawyer, Khadija Rouggany.
During the hearing, she formally withdrew her complaint against Bennis, stating that she had been unconscious during the evening in question at Bennis’s residence and that her previous account did not align with reality.
This withdrawal comes after several major developments in the case. In December, Felix’s fiancé, Mohamed Amine Naguib, had already withdrawn his complaint against the three men for assault, injury, and detention.
At that time, Felix had maintained her position, stating in a December 31 interview with Le360 that she had no intention of withdrawing her complaint, citing her French citizenship and professional status as factors that made her resistant to pressure.
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The case took another turn following a December 24 hearing where twelve witnesses reportedly refuted the rape accusations. This was followed by confrontations between the accused, the plaintiff, and witnesses.
On February 27, Felix maintained her initial version of events before the investigating judge, claiming she had been drugged with GHB, commonly known as the “date rape drug,” though no medical analysis confirmed this claim.
Throughout the investigation, Bennis has consistently maintained that the sexual encounter with Felix was consensual and denied administering any drugs. The other defendants have also denied accusations of assault against Naguib and any involvement in the alleged rape.
A seismic turn in the case unfolded on January 5 when Naguib was placed in preventive detention at Oukacha prison for “violating the secrecy of the investigation and instruction of the case.”
Multiple witnesses present at the evening gathering at Bennis’s residence have corroborated the defendants’ version of events, stating that Naguib was highly agitated and had allegedly struck both his partner and another guest.
While the investigating judge has not yet ruled on final charges or granted provisional release to the accused, Felix’s withdrawal is expected to expedite the case’s resolution.
However, the public prosecutor’s office may still pursue criminal action if it determines that the alleged offenses are of public interest or constitute a serious or flagrant violation.
