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Doha – A ruling by the Primary Court in Mechraa Belksiri has sparked widespread anger across Morocco. The court sentenced a man who disfigured a woman’s face to just two months in prison and a fine of MAD 3,000 (about $325).
The victim, known publicly as “Khadija” or “Lady of 88 Stitches,” suffered severe facial injuries requiring 88 stitches. She received a medical certificate indicating a 35-day incapacity.
Following Monday’s verdict, Khadija appeared in a video that went viral on social media. She was seen sobbing outside the courthouse, slapping her face in distress.
“What is this, people? He destroyed my face and you gave him only two months?” she screamed in the emotional footage.
The case has ignited fierce debate across Morocco. Many social media users and women’s rights organizations condemned the sentence as “lenient” and “unjust.”
Many argue the punishment does not match the severity of the attack and the permanent disfigurement suffered by the victim. One social media commenter wrote: “88 stitches in a woman’s face… and only two months for the perpetrator?”
According to some reports, the incident occurred when Khadija, a divorced woman from Dar Keddari in Sidi Kacem province, rejected sexual advances from a wealthy young man who was heavily intoxicated. In response, he allegedly broke a wine bottle and slashed her face, causing deep wounds.
Many Moroccans are calling for the application of Article 507 of the Moroccan Penal Code, which they believe provides more appropriate penalties for such violent assaults.
The majority of Moroccan netizens expressed solidarity with Khadija, recalling similar cases that had previously shocked public opinion. “How can I not cry when I followed the ‘Selma’ case months ago and thought such cases would not be repeated,” one woman commented.
The Selma case, which made headlines last month, shocked Moroccans. In 2022, teenager Ghadir slashed her classmate’s face with a razor, causing a wound requiring 56 stitches. Despite the severity, Ghadir initially served only two months but was recently sentenced to nine months for subsequent cyberbullying.
However, some local sources have published an alternative account of the incident. In an audio recording reportedly from a close friend of the victim, it was claimed that Khadija “injured herself.”
Some reports suggest this testimony led to the assault charge being dropped, with the defendant instead being prosecuted for “operating a brothel.”
Many are now calling for the Public Prosecutor’s Office to appeal the ruling. They believe stronger penalties are necessary to achieve justice for the victim and deter similar violent acts in the future.
