Ouarzazate court orders detention of father accused of assaulting minor daughter

On Wednesday, an investigative judge at the Ouarzazate Court of Appeal ordered the pre-trial detention of a father accused of sexually assaulting his 15-year-old daughter. He is being held in the local prison, charged with the violent sexual assault of a minor by a family member. This decision was made at the public prosecutor's request, pending the commencement of a thorough investigation into this horrific crime.

The victim's mother had previously filed a complaint with the public prosecutor, alleging that the father had repeatedly sexually assaulted their daughter since she was 13 years old. During her testimony, given in her mother's presence, the victim confirmed suffering from psychological distress due to these assaults. She explained that she had been too afraid to speak out earlier, as her father, who is in his sixties, had threatened retaliation against her or her family.

However, the father's continued exploitation ultimately led her to confide in her mother. Together, they decided to record a video documenting the assaults as evidence of the crime. After reviewing this evidence, the public prosecutor referred the case to the Royal Gendarmerie. Officers subsequently arrested the father and confronted him with his daughter's statements and the recorded video. This confrontation led to his confession of the crimes and the threats he had made.

Following the conclusion of the preliminary detention period, the investigative judge decided to remand the father to the local prison, where he will remain pending the completion of the investigation.