Guilty; jury give unanimous verdict on child abuse case

A man has been found guilty of multiple counts of child abuse after a two week trial. 

35 year old Zakaria Laaraj, who was born in Baghdad, had denied 20 charges spanning five years. 

They related to the sexual touching and kissing of two girls who were aged 10 and 13 when the abuse began in 2015. 

Upon conviction, the defendant was remanded in custody, with the judge acknowledging his risk of absconding. 

A pre-sentencing report has been requested and he will next appear in court on the 25th April.

During the Supreme Court trial, jurors heard how Zakaria Laaraj’s actions had left his two young victims “traumatised”. 

His lawyer Shane Danino claimed they had concocted the allegations, summing up his argument as being a “question of motivation” and “major inconsistencies”. 

However, acting for the Crown, Kerrin Drago said there was no evidence of conspiracy. He described the defendant as “calculated”, saying he took opportunities while others slept. 

He pointed to a letter the defendant had written to the Gibraltar community in which he admitted “this mistake” and said “it’s my fault’.

Mr Drago also referred to a police interview with Laaraj in which he had said “I touched her breasts, not a big thing”. 

However, Mr Drago described the experience as one "no girl should go through”. 

The Crown Counsel held the jury’s attention throughout his closing argument, which lasted over an hour. 

In his summing up, Puisne Judge Matthew Happold directed the jury to return not guilty verdicts on two counts on legal grounds. 

They then went to deliberate on the remaining 18. 

After three hours they returned their unanimous verdict. 

Guilty on thirteen of the charges. Not guilty on the rest. 

Judge Happold thanked the jury for their service, explaining the importance of such trials in encouraging other victims to come forward, describing this as a “good thing”.

If you have been the victim of abuse, you can contact the RGP on 200 72500 or report online.