Dutch Labour Counsel Member Dumps Wife During Holiday in Morocco

Original article: PvdA-raadslid dumpt vrouw in Marokko, De Telegraaf, Dec. 12. https://www.telegraaf.nl/binnenland/16808701/PvdA-raadslid_dumpt_vrouw_in_Marokko.html

Amsterdam — Labour counsel member Mohammed el Yaakoubi is facing criticism for having dumped his wife, a mother of two young sons, during the summer holidays in Morocco.

His wife, Habiba el Yousfi (27), managed to return to the Netherlands two and a half months after the incident and alerted the police. According to the official charges el Yaakoubi took away her passport and her greencard to make it impossible for here to return to the Netherlands. The court ruled in favour of the women on all charges.

El Yaakoubi has to hand over the identity papers, their sons Yassine and Rachid and their house. El Yaakoubi was also ordered to pay her a monthly alimony of 1000 euro. In a desperate cry for help Habiba wrote on the internet that her husband (who is a Labour Party Treasurer and works for the ING bank) ditched her during their holidays in Morroco like she was some piece of unwanted garbage after nine years of marriage. “When I found it my children were gone I looked everywhere!” writes the abondened women.

Back in Amsterdam the Labour-Treasurer filed for divorce and claimed he had no idea where his wife had gone. Both the court and other officals posted ads in several newspapers asking for ‘Habiba-gone-missing’ to report.

In the meantime in Morocca Habiba managed to get new identity papers and she travelled off to the Netherlands, back to her family. She was just in time to appear in court. Her husband testified that she had a ‘bad influence’ on their children. The court ruled that Habiba had every right to the children, the house and to alimony yet el Yaakoubi refuses to acknowlegde this ruling. He claims his wife is nothing but a liar and refuses to comment on the issue any further. His colleagues from the labout party support him. Chairman Wouter van der Wulp: “We are absolutely against people dumbing their women in Morocco, but we feel that this is not what has happened in this case. I personally had a talk with El Yaakoubi and he assures me these are private matters and tells me his wife if a ‘mudslinger’ “

In her hidingplace [safehouse] Habiba tells us why she put her cry for help on the internet. “Our marriage turned ugly after the birth of our two sons. I was not allowed to leave the house and I was told not even to open the door. My husband got angry with me for trying to learn Dutch witout his permission.”

Even though the judge ruled in favour of Habiba on all charges, she is left with nothing. She has nor children, she receives no alimony nor wellfare. Wearing borrowed cloths and without insurance or income she remains in hiding [in a safehouse.]

Labour counselmember el Yaakoubi meanwhile is taking her to court again, demanding she finds a home of her own.