Moroccan Court Delivers Sentences in Controversial ‘Caid Slap' Case
Rabat – The judicial panel at the Primary Court in the city of Temara, south of Rabat, issued a series of rulings on April 10 against four individuals involved in what has come to be known as the 'Temara Caid Slap' case.
The case has captured public attention across Morocco in recent weeks, after a video showing a woman slapping a 'Caid', a local administrative executive, outside the Seventh Administrative District office in Temara went viral, sparking widespread public debate.
The primary defendant, Chaimae, received the maximum sentence of two years in prison on charges of 'insulting and using violence against a public official during the performance of their duties.'
Her husband was sentenced to one year of effective imprisonment for 'insult,' without any act of violence, in addition to a fine of MAD 1,000 (approximately $107).
Chaimae's brother-in-law and a fourth defendant were each sentenced to six months of effective imprisonment for insult, and were acquitted of the remaining charges related to the same case.
Bouchaib al-Sufi, Chaimae's defense attorney, told local news outlets outside the court that all defendants were acquitted of the charge of 'rebellion,' which carries a potential five-year prison sentence.
The court granted the defendants ten days to appeal the verdict — a step al-Sufi says he would take. 'We are now facing a preliminary judicial ruling, which we cannot publicly comment on or criticize. The appropriate and legal course is to file an appeal,' he stated.
Earlier that same day, the Ministry of Interior, represented by the Skhirat-Temara province, formally withdrew its lawsuit during the hearing, requesting only a symbolic compensation of one dirham.
While some condemned Chaimae's behavior and sympathized with the Caid for being insulted and assaulted while performing his duties, others argued that he initiated the confrontation by forcibly grabbing her phone and throwing it, as she filmed a heated exchange between him and her husband.
A central point of dispute, within and outside the courtroom, was a medical certificate submitted by the Caid, stating that he required 30 days of rest due to psychological trauma from being slapped in public.
The certificate ignited broader debate in Morocco around the credibility and legal influence of medical documents in court cases, particularly when they involve public officials.
While some viewed the certificate as reasonable, given the public humiliation the Caid experienced, others suspected it was an attempt to influence the trial's outcome, doubting that the slap could justify such a diagnosis.
Chaimae's legal team called for the exclusion of the certificate, questioning its legal basis and credibility. Media reports indicated that the defense intended to request an independent medical examination.
'One person gets two years for slapping, another gets one year for witnessing it, six months for hearing about it,' commented one social media user sarcastically.
'How many slaps were dealt to the faces of young people in the streets during the Covid lockdown?' the user added.
The comment echoed a sentiment shared by many Moroccans who expressed that the sentence was excessive — not out of disregard for the mistreatment of public officials, but due to the perceived double standard in how justice is applied when the public suffers abuse at the hands of authorities. Tags: Moroccan courtMorocco Administration
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