France: Appeal trial begins for 'Tinder rapist' Salim Berrada

The appeal trial of Salim Berrada, dubbed the "Tinder rapist" by media, opens Tuesday in France, a year and a half after he was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping or sexually assaulting 15 women he met online.

Throughout his first trial in March 2024 in Paris, Berrada maintained his innocence, arguing that the relationships with these women were consensual or had not occurred.

After two weeks of hearings, where the question of consent was central to the debates, the Paris criminal court found the Moroccan former photographer, now 40, guilty of 12 rapes and three sexual assaults. He was acquitted for two other complainants, as the court found the evidence lacking and decided that "doubt" should benefit him. These 17 women have once again filed as civil parties.

In the first instance, the defendant received an 18-year prison sentence, with an order to leave the country. He immediately appealed. The incidents in question date from 2014 to 2016.

Most of the complainants, who were in their early twenties at the time, recounted similar stories of how they met Berrada, who lured them to his studio through messages on social networks or dating sites, offering photo sessions. Once at his home, they were given alcohol, which many did not dare refuse. All described an unusually fast intoxication. Next came a dazed state, a feeling of having been drugged. Some vomited, others collapsed.

All described the photographer’s change in behavior. He restrained and pinned down their wrists while they repeatedly told him no, then raped them. In March 2024, the presiding judge of the Paris criminal court, Thierry Fusina, stressed the "particularly organized nature," "proven method of operation," and "serial nature of these crimes and offenses," which he called "particularly disturbing."

The prosecutor, who requested a 19-year prison sentence, denounced an "insatiable, egocentric hunter" who "admits nothing." The defense, for its part, urged the court to at least "doubt" his guilt. "I’d just like to say that this monster, it’s not me," Berrada whispered before the court withdrew to deliberate. The verdict of his appeal trial, held in Créteil near Paris, is expected on Oct. 2 or 3. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.