The disappearance
Adnane Bouchouf disappeared in Tangier on September 7, 2020. His family reported him missing, and surveillance footage later became an important part of the effort to identify a man seen with the child shortly before the disappearance.
Four days later, Adnane was found dead near the residence associated with the principal suspect. Police detained the main suspect and three men who lived with him.
The investigation
The principal defendant was prosecuted for offenses including kidnapping, unlawful confinement, sexual violence and premeditated murder. His three housemates faced separate charges related to failing to report the crime after allegedly recognizing him in circulated footage and noticing changes in his behavior.
The case attracted intense public attention across Morocco. Crime by Region does not use that public reaction as evidence of guilt; the criminal status described here comes from the court judgments themselves.
The first judgment
On January 13, 2021, the Tangier criminal court imposed a death sentence on the principal defendant after finding him guilty of the most serious charges. The three other defendants received four-month prison terms for offenses connected to non-reporting or concealment rather than for participation in the murder itself.
Appeal and cassation
On April 6, 2021, the Tangier Court of Appeal confirmed the principal death sentence. The defense then sought review before Morocco's Court of Cassation.
On January 5, 2022, the Court of Cassation upheld the principal conviction and sentence. That decision completed the ordinary cassation review described in the reliable sources used for this file.
Why the case is classified as solved
The identity of the victim, the principal defendant's conviction and the outcome of the appellate process are all documented. The archive therefore classifies the case as Solved / Adjudicated. This classification describes the legal status of the case; it does not imply anything about whether a death sentence was later carried out.
Timeline
September 7, 2020: Adnane disappears in Tangier.
September 11, 2020: he is found dead; the principal suspect and three housemates are detained.
January 13, 2021: the principal defendant receives a death sentence; three co-defendants receive shorter terms for separate offenses.
April 6, 2021: the Tangier Court of Appeal confirms the principal sentence.
January 5, 2022: Morocco's Court of Cassation upholds the principal conviction and sentence.
Current status
The principal conviction is treated as final in the sources reviewed following the Court of Cassation ruling. The page does not infer any later execution or commutation without a separate reliable record.