Paris prosecutor’s office demands assize trial against theologian Tariq Ramadan for raping four women | Abroad

In the #MeToo case, Ramadan initially denied having had extramarital affairs. He later confessed to having had “dominant relationships”, but “with consent”. The affair took the charismatic but controversial head of European Islam from his pedestal.

The case started rolling in late October 2017 after complaints from Henda Ayari, an ex-Salafist who transformed into a laicist militant (advocate of separation of church and state, ed.) and the so-called ‘Christelle’. One accused him of a 2012 rape in Paris, the other of a 2009 rape in Lyon.

In February 2018 and October 2020, Ramadan was subsequently charged with raping those two first women, as well as three other potential victims. Ramadan spent ten months in jail. Police identified two victims through photos and messages on his computer. The third victim, ex-escort girl Mounia Rabbouj, accused him of nine rapes in the period 2013-2014.

The prosecutor’s office says in its indictment that despite Ramadan’s repeated denials, “the judicial inquiry has collected many elements against Tariq Ramadan”. The public prosecutor is therefore demanding an assize trial for the rapes of Henda Ayari, ‘Christelle’, Mounia Rabbouj and one of the women identified in the photos.

The latter stated during an interrogation in 2019 that she had a physical relationship “with consent”, but that she felt “mentally raped”. But in June 2021, she withdrew her complaint.

The final decision on a trial rests with the two investigating judges in charge of the case. Incidentally, in 2015 Ramadan already concluded an agreement before the Belgian court with another Belgian woman with whom he had a relationship. In exchange for her silence about their relationship, he paid her 27,000 euros.

French court demands fine against Islam expert Tariq Ramadan accused of rape

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