Rabat – Islamic scholar Tariq Ramadan, indicted for sexual assault of several women, confessed to having five extramarital affairs, including one with the complainant Mounia R, during his hearing with the judges, Tuesday, June 5.
Mounia R. was the third woman to accuse the Islamic scholar of raping her. The former escort-girl claimed the theologian raped her nine times between 2013 and 2014, in France, London, and Brussels.
“Yes, I happened to have had extramarital affairs. There are two types of things in my life, it was a lot of virtual relationships and proven extramarital relationships,” Ramadan said.
Asked about the contradiction between these relations and the religious morality he preaches, he replied: “I had ups and downs, times where I was totally consistent with my principles and others where I was more fragile,” reports French outlet France Inter radio.
According to France Inter, which received access to his statements, the Islamic Scholar asserted that he is the one who has been harassed.
When questioned by the investigating judges on Tuesday, Ramadan claimed that women are the ones “who are coming to get me.”
“I go to Le Bourget [French commune] for a conference, and the police must take three women out of the bathroom because I come in.” He explained that he was “not only solicited as an intellectual, but also as a man,” as much by women as by men.
To date, three women have accused Ramadan of rape. Ramadan denied all charges against him, but admitted to having relations with one of the complainants.
Ramadan has been held by authorities since his arrest in January, pending his trial. The defense team presented the court with several release requests. The latest application was rejected before the court on May 4.
The scholar’s defense team also requested a new medical expert to examine Ramadan, claiming that his client’s health was incompatible with remaining in prison. The defense added that Ramadan was not receiving the necessary treatment in custody.
If the charges are confirmed, the scholar will face up to 15 years in prison on the charge of rape, and up to 20 years on the separate charge of rape of a vulnerable person, since the second complainant is disabled.
