The suspect in the Philippine murder case has arrived in France following his extradition from Switzerland and has been presented to the judge in charge of the case. Given his history of recidivism, he faces life imprisonment.
Taha Oualidat, a 22-year-old illegal immigrant from Morocco, is suspected of having raped and murdered a 19-year-old student, Philippine, in September in Paris. At the time of the incident, he was supposed to be serving a seven-year prison sentence for a rape committed in 2019 but had been released in June before the end of his sentence. He was under an obligation to leave French territory (OQTF). After the murder, he sought refuge in Switzerland, where he was arrested a few days later. After initially refusing extradition to France, he was eventually expelled from Switzerland and welcomed by the French authorities.
Following his appearance before a French judge on Wednesday, November 6th, he was indicted for murder accompanied by rape, theft, and fraud. The indictment is considered a case of legal recidivism, since he had been sentenced by a juvenile court in 2021 for a rape committed in 2019.
For all these reasons, he faces life imprisonment. After being brought before the judge, he was remanded in custody.
The investigation is continuing, to clearly establish the chain of events that led to the young girl’s death.
Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau told the press that he had been particularly affected by Philippine’s death. He personally visited her parents’ home to express his support. The circumstances of the murder—allegedly perpetrated by a recidivist rapist facing deportation—prompted him to speak out strongly in favour of a tougher French penal policy.
