Heavy Sentences in the “Maternity Bribery” Case in Kenitra: 5 Years for the Doctor and 10 Years Ban from Practicing
The Kenitra Court of First Instance this evening concluded the “maternity bribery” case that shook the Zemouri Hospital, with severe sentences directed at a doctor, a midwife, and intermediaries after they were involved in extorting a pregnant woman in the delivery room.
The ruling, presided over by Judge Naima Azdik, sentenced the doctor to five years in prison, prohibiting her from practicing for ten years, while the midwife received four years and each of the two intermediaries was sentenced to three years. A security guard at the hospital received a one-year prison term.
The details of the case stemmed from a complaint filed by the husband of a pregnant woman to the public prosecutor’s office, reporting that his wife was extorted for 2,000 dirhams in exchange for her delivery. The public prosecutor’s office reacted swiftly, assigning the police’s judicial branch to carry out a sting operation to catch those involved in the act.
The operation was led by a female officer who disguised herself in plain clothing, claiming to be a relative of the pregnant woman, and entered the delivery room with the woman’s sister. As soon as the midwife received the money, the officer arrested her. However, the intervention was met with resistance from some cleaning staff who thought it was a family dispute before the police intervened to detain the suspects.
Investigations revealed a network of illegal practices within the hospital, where services that should have been free turned into a means of quick profit at the expense of struggling pregnant women. The case once again put the state of public health under scrutiny, amid calls for stricter oversight within healthcare institutions.
