The Public Prosecution Service has demanded 14 years of imprisonment against a 31-year-old man suspected of a fatal stabbing on July 31, 2023, in Al Hoceima, Morocco. The 25-year-old nephew of the suspect lost his life. The suspect left Morocco immediately after the stabbing.
The suspect lived with his parents in Rotterdam. After the stabbing incident, two explosions occurred at their home. Due to the investigation into the explosions, the case regarding the Moroccan stabbing incident came to light in the Netherlands. The suspect reported to the police station in Rotterdam on September 9, 2023. The Moroccan authorities have requested the Netherlands to take over the prosecution and have sent the Moroccan dossier.
Persisting in anger
On that fateful summer day in 2023, there was a confrontation between two cousins who were vacationing separately in Al Hoceima. Extensive investigations were conducted in Morocco regarding the circumstances of the stabbing. Immediately after the incident, the police arrived on the scene and secured evidence. The police secured camera footage and the knives and interviewed witnesses.
Through the phone, the suspect and the victim argued with each other and made nasty, provocative remarks back and forth. The suspect was so angry that he went to confront the victim. He brought two knives with him and drove with two other cousins to the Sfiha beach, where the victim was located. On the way, the suspect was talked to in an attempt to calm him down, but he persisted in his anger. When the suspect saw his cousin on the beach, he ran directly at him, grabbed the knives, and stabbed him in the chest.
Great impact
The prosecutor during the hearing stated: “The suspect took the risk that his confrontation with the victim would escalate in a terrible way. That does not necessarily mean that he planned it beforehand, but by acting this way, he ensured that the argument resulted in the victims death.” Premeditation cannot therefore be proven, partly because witnesses say that the victim also ran towards the suspect, but according to the Public Prosecution Service, it is very close to that. The suspect should have reflected during the car ride on what he was going to do and what the consequences could be.
“The suspect stabbed his cousin to death. As a result, he took away from the victim the most precious, fundamental thing he possessed, his life. The suspect has caused irreparable harm to the family, friends, and many others who knew the victim,” said the public prosecutor during the hearing. “And also outside the very close circle of family and friends, the death had a significant impact. It is clear that the victim had many friends in Rotterdam and was beloved in a wide circle.”
Five individuals prosecuted in Morocco
The Moroccan authorities have prosecuted five individuals for their involvement in the stabbing. The suspects father and two cousins and two friends of one of those cousins. Those cases are still pending in Morocco.
