Moroccan Construction Worker on Trial for Double Murder in France
41-year-old faces life sentence for killing his wife and sister-in-law in May 2023.
Watan-On Monday, the trial began of a 41-year-old Moroccan man accused of killing his wife and her sister in 2023 near Alès, southern France. He faces life imprisonment.
The defendant, identified as Mohamed A., commented on the charges: “For Fatima (my sister-in-law), yes. But with regard to my wife, it was an accident.”
A verdict is expected Wednesday for the construction worker, who arrived in France in 2017 and has an outstanding deportation order.
Mohamed A. and his wife, Halima Z. (26), married in December 2020 and have a 10-month-old daughter. After marital problems, his wife moved out to live near her family.
Violent Confrontation Leads to Fatal Stabbings and Confession of Rage-Driven Killings
On May 5, 2023, Mohamed A. went to Halima’s rented apartment—he said he paid the rent—where he got into a violent argument with his sister-in-law Fatima (39), accusing her of influencing his wife. He stabbed Fatima 14 times, causing a fatal heart wound, according to the autopsy. He then attacked his wife, knifing her three times and inflicting a deep neck wound, per forensic examiners.
A beautician present at the scene testified that Mohamed asked her to accompany him to the police station, where he confessed to killing both women “in a fit of rage.”
Psychologist Annabelle Montin reported that Mohamed “initially said the facts concerning his wife were accidental, then claimed his lawyer told him to say that.”
The defendant also accused his wife’s family members—particularly Fatima—of pushing his wife toward drug and alcohol use.
Forensic psychiatrist Laurent Leight stated: “Mohamed shows a complete lack of self-accountability. He says he does everything for his wife and daughter, yet shifts all blame onto others.”
