Zakaria Laaraj, the Gibraltar Paedophile, convicted of sexually assaulting two young girls, was sentenced to seven years in prison on Wednesday.
Zakaria Laaraj, 35, was found guilty by a jury earlier this year of 13 sexual crimes involving minors.
The Supreme Court reviewed allegations that Zakaria Laaraj exploited the complainants by inappropriately touching and kissing them multiple times between 2015 and 2020.
In a victim impact statement presented before the court, one of the girls articulated the anguish and anxiety inflicted upon her by the assaults. She was below the age of 13 at that time.
“I felt ensnared, as though the world was collapsing around me,” she stated in the declaration, which was referenced by Puisne Judge Matthew Happold at the sentence hearing.
The second girl articulated the impact of the assaults on her emotional and physical welfare, stating that she had “lost the person she once was.”
Zakaria Laaraj was found guilty of ten offences concerning one victim and three charges about another.
Zakaria Laaraj received a sentence for one principal offence against each of the girls, along with supplementary prison terms for the remaining counts.
Although the punishments for each victim were concurrent, the prison terms for the two principal offences will be served concurrently.
Consequently, Zakaria Laaraj received a cumulative sentence of seven years’ imprisonment.
Prosecutor Kerrin Drago represented the Crown.
Shane Danino represented Zakaria Laaraj.
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