London, July 15, 2020 (AltAfrica)-A Moroccan arrested for allegedly raping a minor committed suicide minutes before his hearing

Moroccan daily newspaper Assabah reports that the suspect was permitted to enter a bathroom alone before his court appearance.

Upon entering, the man removed his pants and tied them to the iron bars of a small raised window. He knotted his underwear between his pant legs and hung himself.

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Police officers on the scene quickly discovered the man hanging from the window and called in a forensics team who pronounced him dead by suicide. 

Rabat police arrested the suspect on July 9, according to the report and reportedly showed “exemplary” cooperation and discipline throughout his police custody and interrogation.

Leading up to the court hearing, officials responsible for the perpetrators’ custody said he followed all orders and waited calmly for his turn to see the magistrate. 

The security guards responsible for the man are in question for their “lax” behaviour. 

According to the World Health Organization’s (WHO) 2018 data, suicide accounts for 0.61% of Morocco’s total deaths, ranking number 171 in the world for suicide prevalence. 

In North Africa, Morocco has the highest female suicide rates and one of the lowest male suicide rates. 

According to WHO’s data, “close to 800 000 people kill themselves every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.”

“Many suicides happen impulsively in moments of crisis with a breakdown in the ability to deal with life stresses.”