Moroccan singer convicted of rape in Paris, gets 6-year term
CTV
A court in Paris convicted Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred of rape and assault charges Friday and sentenced him to six years in prison.
A court in Paris convicted Moroccan singer Saad Lamjarred of rape and assault charges Friday and sentenced him to six years in prison.
The 37-year-old Lamjarred, who is famous on the Arab pop music scene, had been trial on charges of aggravated rape and assault since Monday.
A six-member jury and three magistrates spent seven hours deliberating before the singer was found guilty of raping a French woman at a luxury hotel on the Champs-Elysees in October 2016 while he was under the influence of alcohol and cocaine.
Lamjarred denied the allegations of rape and assault. He acknowledged on the first day of the trial that he "occasionally" used alcohol and drugs at the time but said he had since stopped.
Lamjarred told the presiding magistrate Friday that he "absolutely did not do what I am accused of," according to reports in French media.
Jean-Marc Descoubes, the victim's lawyer, told reporters at the start of the trial that his client was undergoing treatment but remained strong despite the trauma she sustained.
The woman, who was 20 years old at the time, said she met Lamjarred at a Paris nightclub and accompanied him to his hotel, according to a document summarizing the conclusions of the investigation..
