Rabat – The Court of Appeals in El Jadida has sentenced a ride-hailing driver and an accomplice to 15 years in prison each and ordered them to pay a total of 100,000 MAD in compensation. The sentences follow the two individuals’conviction for attempted sexual assault, aggravated theft, kidnapping, unlawful detention with a motorized vehicle, torture, and intentional assault with a weapon.
The case dates back to April, when two female students from the Faculty of Science in El Jadida hailed a ride through the “Indrive” app. The driver initially picked them up outside the faculty before his accomplice joined the vehicle, brandishing a large knife to prevent the students from resisting.
Threatening the two tough women, the men diverted the car to a remote forested area, where they attempted to sexually assault them and stole their phones. Their actions drew the attention of a passerby, who alerted the gendarmerie. Authorities arrived after the suspects had fled.
Investigators later identified the perpetrators using security camera footage, leading to their arrest. They were prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor on charges of attempted sexual assault, aggravated theft, kidnapping, torture, and deliberate injury with a weapon.
After hearing the case, the appeals court sentenced each man to 15 years in prison and ordered them to pay MAD 50,000 to each victim.
The incident follows a similar case in Rabat on June 29, when a university student and her friend refused to enter an InDrive vehicle after noticing discrepancies in the car details and seeing the driver was accompanied by a woman.
Although ride-hailing apps like InDrive remain illegal in Morocco, they continue to operate covertly, offering convenience but posing serious safety risks.
