Rabat – The Court of Appeal in Errachidia has sentenced the main suspect in the murder of a teacher under alias H. B. to life in prison. The victim had worked at a vocational training center in the city of Erfoud.
This ruling comes after a previous decision by the criminal court, which had sentenced the man to 30 years in prison and ordered him to pay a fine. However, the charges were later reclassified, and the court decided to increase the sentence to life imprisonment.
The tragic incident took place on March 27, when the suspect, who was a student at the center, attacked the teacher in front of the institution. He used a sharp weapon, causing severe injuries to the teacher’s head and neck.
A graphic video documenting the aftermath of the attack was widely shared online. It showed the teacher lying on the ground in a pool of her own blood, with the weapon still stuck to her neck.
She was transferred to the regional hospital and later to a university hospital in Fez, where she remained in intensive care for several weeks. She succumbed to her injuries on April 13.
Police arrested the suspect shortly after the assault, and he was later charged with premeditated murder. The court has now confirmed his life sentence, closing a case that deeply saddened the education community and the wider public.
The attack caused shock and outrage across the education community in Morocco, with many teachers and students expressing grief and calling for stronger measures to protect educators.
They pointed to increasing cases of verbal and physical abuse targeting female teachers and staff.
The National Federation of Vocational Training, part of the Moroccan Workers’ Union (UMT), organized nationwide protests, with staff in vocational training centers wearing black armbands throughout the day and observing a minute of silence in her memory.
“This tragedy is not just an isolated case. It reflects a very dangerous situation inside our vocational institutions. We are demanding real protection, not just words,” said the federation in a statement.
It added that the murder of the teacher in Erfoud is not an isolated incident, citing an earlier assault on another female instructor in the city of Azemmour, calling it “unjustified and dangerous.” These attacks, they said, point to a breakdown in the values of respect and discipline within the training system.
