Taha Oualidat, arrested last September in Switzerland, was extradited to France on Wednesday for his alleged involvement in the rape and murder of 19-year-old Philippine. The undocumented Moroccan national was detained at the Annemasse border and taken to Paris to appear before an examining magistrate, according to sources cited by BFMTV.
His extradition reportedly proceeded without incident. The 22-year-old had initially resisted, but later consented to a simplified extradition process after a hearing with Geneva's public prosecutor on Monday.
Oualidat was first arrested in Switzerland on September 24, just days after the victim's body was discovered in Paris's Bois de Boulogne. He originally entered France at age 17, traveling through Spain on a tourist visa valid between June and July 2019, before being placed in the care of Val-d'Oise’s child welfare services due to his minor status. Soon after, he committed a rape in Taverny and was subsequently identified through DNA evidence, sentenced to seven years, and released in 2024.
Upon his release, he was issued an order to leave French territory (OQTF) on June 18, 2024, though procedural delays complicated his deportation to Morocco. Despite a consular pass from Morocco, Oualidat evaded authorities by failing to report to his assigned location in Yonne and was later added to the wanted persons list. On September 20, just a day after his evasion, he allegedly killed Philippine.