A Casablanca appeal court held a hearing on Thursday regarding a high-profile rape case involving three men from well-off families in Casablanca. During this hearing, the investigating judge heard from the plaintiff, a French lawyer who lodged a complaint against the three sons of prominent Moroccan businessmen, accusing them of rape. The hearing was attended by Moroccan human rights lawyer Khadija Roukani, who represents the victim, and lasted for several hours. Other hearings were scheduled for December 24 and 25 to hear from the defendants. During the session, the 27-year-old victim, who had filed rape complaints in both Paris and Casablanca, maintained her position before the court, reaffirming her earlier statements about being drugged with the rape pill GHB during a party at the villa of the main suspect. She also strongly denied allegations of a consensual relationship with the defendants. According to media sources, the French complainant rejected all attempts by the families of the accused to convince her to «drop the charges», including enticing financial offers. This came particularly after her Moroccan fiancé, Mohamed Amine Naguib, who holds the position of head of committees at the General Confederation of Moroccan Enterprises, withdrew his support. In contrast, the defense of the suspects is working to gather evidence to refute the complainant's account, relying on the discovery of drugs during a search of the crime scene. The incident dates back to a party hosted on November 2 by Kamil Bennis, a member of a wealthy family in the pharmaceutical sector. Three others are implicated: M'hammed Alj, the son of the president of CGEM; Saâd Slaoui, a London-based entrepreneur; and Ahmed Daghbour, a security guard and local councillor. The complainant alleges that Kamil Bennis raped her after she unknowingly consumed GHB, commonly referred to as the «date rape drug». It is worth noting that the accused have been held in local detention in Ain Sebaa since November 23, awaiting the completion of the investigations to uncover the circumstances of the case, which has garnered wide attention due to the involvement of figures from influential families.
