Rapper Naps outlines defense in Paris hotel assault trial

Yesterday 09:40

By: Dakir Madiha

Rapper Naps outlines defense in Paris hotel assault trial

French rapper Naps appeared before the Paris criminal court this week, contesting allegations that he raped a 25 year old woman in a hotel room in October 2021. The artist, whose real name is Nabil Boukhobza, denies the charges and maintains that the encounter was consensual. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison.

The trial, which opened on Monday February 16, centers on events that followed an evening spent together by the performer of the hit “La Kiffance,” the complainant and several of her friends. According to the case file presented in court, the group later went to a hotel near the Gare de Lyon in Paris. The complainant alleges she was assaulted while asleep. The defendant disputes that account, asserting that the sexual relations were mutually agreed.

At the outset of proceedings, the presiding judge summarized the allegations and the findings of the investigation. Naps reaffirmed that he rejects the accusations. The court reviewed elements of his personal background and musical career, as well as the professional consequences he says he has faced since the case became public.

Expert witnesses were scheduled to testify before the court heard directly from the complainant and two friends who were present that night. Their statements are expected to clarify the sequence of events in the hotel room and the complainant’s condition at the time of the alleged assault.

Taking the stand in a blue denim jacket, the rapper described what he characterized as a consensual sexual encounter with the woman, identified during the hearing as Fanny. He told the court that the interaction began with mutual kissing and touching before leading to sexual intercourse. In his account, the situation escalated naturally and he interpreted the woman’s behavior and reactions as indications of consent.

Naps also referred to the presence of another woman, identified as Alexia, a friend of the complainant. He said that after losing his erection, he briefly shifted his attention toward her. According to his testimony, at one point she placed her hand in a manner he understood as a request to stop, and he complied.

He further stated that following this sequence, the three friends retrieved their mobile phones, which had been left near the entrance of the room, and left the hotel together.

The court must now weigh this version of events against the accounts of the complainant and her friends, as well as expert assessments. Some expert reports cited in the proceedings indicate that the complainant may not have been in a state to provide free and informed consent, suggesting she could have been asleep or otherwise impaired at the time.