The judicial center of the Royal Gendarmerie of Ouarzazate presented, on Tuesday, before the prosecutor at the Court of Appeal the imam of a mosque and religious teacher, charged with indecently assaulting female students under the age of 13, who are studying the Holy Quran at the mosque.
Following a series of complaints from the victims’ parents, claiming the Imam was inappropriately touching the underage students in the mosque, forcing kisses and sitting them on his lap.
A well-informed Hespress source revealed that the investigation into the subject of these complaints came as a result of the keenness of the Public Prosecution at the Court of Appeal of Ouarzazate, in coordination and cooperation with human rights organizations and civil society bodies, to ensure the protection of all groups and safeguard their rights against any abuse or assaults, including those sexual in nature.
The source added that the victims were heard in a detailed and precise manner, as well as the witnesses who confirmed the incident of assaulting the underage students by the defendant, the latter was subjected to in-depth investigations by the judicial police officers.
After being confronted with the consistent statements of the victims and the evidence obtained, the accused had no choice but to confess to the accusations made against him by the complaining parties, and the in-depth investigations enabled authorities to find a number of pornographic images on his phone.
On Tuesday morning, the accused was brought before the public prosecutor at the Court of Appeal, and the prosecutor decided to refer him to the investigating judge for committing felony indecent assault of minors using violence as a religious official, and misdemeanor possession of pornographic images, after which the judge ordered him to be placed in Ouarzazate local prison.
Hespress sources revealed that the imam of the mentioned mosque was recently referred to the Court of Appeal in Ouarzazate for committing similar acts related to the defilement of other minors, and the court acquitted him of the charges, before the public prosecutor decided to continue and deepen the investigations regarding the acts and behaviors attributed to the accused, until the identity of several victims and witnesses was revealed and the accused confessed to the charges, backed by evidence of his involvement in the case.
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