The Paris jury was not at all convinced by the version of Saad Lamjarred, who just admitted “an involuntary violent reflex”. The artist claims Laura only “brutally shoved her face away” when the young woman suddenly scratched him while kissing and undressing. When he was given the floor one last time this morning, the singer asked the court to believe him, this time repeating in French, while previously he had only spoken in English and Arabic: “I’ve never penetrated Laura”.
A constant and precise narrative
But the court found in its verdict that there were no scratches on the singer’s back and that Laura P., who was 20 at the time, was injured. She also notes that the young woman — who, according to psychiatric experts, is not prone to “confabulations” and, according to psychiatric experts, shows real signs of post-traumatic syndrome — has been describing the rape “constantly and precisely” since day one, while changing his version several times. During the course of the investigation, Saad Lamjarred explained that Laura P. was “drunk” – she doesn’t drink alcohol – and then tried to extort money from her, only to tell the hearing that she “must have been wrong”. . Another element the court is withholding is the testimony of hotel workers who saw the young woman leave the star’s room in “shock”.
In determining Saad Lamjarred’s verdict, the court took into account his clean record and respect for his judicial scrutiny, but also his “perseverance in denying the facts,” his “oversized ego,” and his “intolerance of frustration, especially sexual,” the were determined by a psychiatrist expert. With seven out of nine votes, it sentences him to six years in prison. The Advocate General had demanded seven years in prison and a five-year ban on leaving France. The accused faced 20 years.
The victim’s relief
The public, consisting of the singer’s fans and the curious who crowded the benches of the small, crowded courtroom, greeted the verdict in silence. The Moroccan star doesn’t react. Very pale, Saad Lamjarred looks stunned. Laura P. collapses in tears in her mother’s arms.
She later told RFI she felt “relieved” to finally be recognized as a “victim.” “I spoke for myself, but also for everyone else. I hope this opened your eyes. yes it is long yes it is hard But it’s not impossible,” says the young woman, very moved. Saad Lamjarred, who is the target of several other rape allegations, needs to be brought to justice in particular by the Var Assize Courts. His lawyers declined to comment on the Paris Assizes’ verdict. You have ten days to appeal.