Need Legal Help Bad Situation for Friend

mitsmaak Active member

97POSTS

7 years ago

Hi,

I have a friend that is being held against her will by an ex-boyfriend that she went to visit. She is Vietnamese. She wishes to return to Vietnam but the man is locking her in his house. He is French, has a maid and driver that watch her. He has punched her and cut her hand open breaking her phone. He trying to prevent her from getting help to leave. She had 2 phones. I have not heard back in a week. I believe he found her other phone and smashed it.

Myself, I am a westerner. I don't have any idea what could be done. What he is doing is certainly against French law but I don't know what sort of reaction the police in Morocco would have to such a report. And I don't know if the French embassy would do anything on her behalf. I am trying to contact the Vietnamese officials to see if they work with anyone in Morocco - I am not hopeful about that. I do not yet have the exact address of the apartment where she is being held.

IF anyone has reliable knowledge of the Moroccan law in this situation or someone who may be able to advise us, it will be very much appreciated.

Thank You for your attention.

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Shayma123 Member

10POSTS

7 years ago

If u know just the area . U could go there and ask people There , maybe know them . Take a morrocan to search with u . I hope she is ok

mitsmaak Active member

97POSTS

7 years ago

I think that I will know the address soon. But I don't know what the reaction of the Moroccan authorities might be. The guy could have paid them off. She tells me that he got her a visa from the Moroccan ambassador and that tells me that he might have influential friends. Plus that is an islamic country. I don't know much about that but what I see on the internet tells me that women are viewed as possessions and that they do not own themselves. But the guy is not muslim as far as I can tell. I don't know if he can block her from leaving the country. Or make it very difficult?

SoufZeOuf Active member

28POSTS

7 years ago

you have to give the address to someone you/she knows here so that they can file a report in a police station. They would pay her a visit and see what's going on. Regardless of religion, the guy can't keep her locked against her will. Slavery has been abolished in centuries... Let's hope we hear good news soon enough.

Heart Collector Serial expat

381POSTS

7 years ago

If she is really in that situation you should not be asking on this Forum but consult with authorities and explain them all the situation , they have ways to find the location. You have mentioned her as a Friend and what you are doing is not expected from a friend, go and get some official help

stumpy Laos Expert

18028POSTS

7 years ago

Contact the Vietnam Embassy in Rabat.

mitsmaak Active member

97POSTS

7 years ago

Thanks for Your thoughtful response. My main concern is making her situation worse by informing the police or other authorities.
I would guess there is some level of corruption there. Also, I don’t know much about Muslim countries and how that would be regarded. I think it’s likely that women have less rights there. It’s hard to say what the man could be telling the authorities or maybe bribing them??
Since I am trying to help and she only has one other friend, her sister and myself; I was hoping someone there might have knowledge of the society that might help point us in the right direction. We are in Vietnam. Her sister could fly there but only speaks Vietnamese. So I am afraid that we must try to find someone who has knowledge of Casablanca and if there is any hope of freeing her.