A homeless man, aged 38 and from Fez, Morocco, was indicted and placed in pre-trial detention for the rape of a 16 year old boycommitted in April 2024 at Montauban station. According to information revealed by La Dépêche, the Moroccan suspect was arrested on December 12 during a routine check thanks to an identikit released several months earlier. DNA analyzes taken from the victim made it possible to formally identify him. The man disputes the facts with which he is accused.
A birthday that turns into a nightmare in Montauban
The events date back to April 13, 2024. That day, a young 16-year-old from Lotois left his village, located southwest of Cahors, to go to Montauban. The teenager, who came to celebrate his birthday while attending a rugby match, finds himself without accommodation after the match. Forced to look for a place to spend the night, he headed towards the Villebourbon SNCF station.
On the way, he is approached by a misfit accompanied by a dog. According to the young man’s statements, this individual followed him to the station before forcing him to go to an isolated parking lot, where he would have been the victim of sexual acts of incredible violence. In shock and in a state of astonishment, the victim was unable to put up any resistance.
As soon as the facts were reported, the police took the matter very seriously. Some time later, the teenager, deeply traumatized, would have tried to end his lifehighlighting the extent of the psychological after-effects left by this tragedy.
Indicted and pre-trial detention
Placed in police custody, the man, who speaks little French, was assisted by an Arabic interpreter. He strongly denies the accusations against him. However, confronted with the results of the DNA analyzes and the victim’s testimony, he was presented to an investigating judge. The latter indicted him for viol et sexual assault on a minor under the age of fifteen.
The 30-year-old was transferred to Beausoleil remand centerwhere he will remain in pre-trial detention awaiting his trial. A case which, by its dramatic nature, deeply moved the region and relaunched the debate on the protection of young people in vulnerable situations.
