Moroccan murder suspect arrested in Palma

By Humphrey Carter THE three-day man hunt for the Moroccan who allegedly stabbed his 29-year-old estranged wife Noura Hichou to death in Palma on Sunday afternoon, ended yesterday morning when Rachid Bennis was arrested by police at a flat in the Campo Redo suburb of the Majorcan capital. A National and Local Police operation was mounted after the security services received a tip-off from a resident in calle Fray Antonio Llinas who recognised Bennis from his photograph which has appeared in the media over the past few days. Just after 11.30 am, over 25 members of the Local and National police swooped on the rented apartment and inside they found Bennis along with his nine-year-old son who he had taken from the custody of Noura after she was stabbed eight times. Bennis was unable to resist the police and was led out into a waiting police car in handcuffs. The 41-year-old murder suspect, who had been served with a restraining order not to go within 500 metres of his estranged wife, was being held in National Police custody while the nine-year-old was being cared for by relations. A magistrate will decide whether he will remain with family of his murdered mother or be admitted to a child care centre. Security chiefs said yesterday that the arrest came as a result of a massive police operation which involved an island-wide search and extra security at ports and Palma airport to prevent the suspect from fleeing Majorca. On Monday morning, police found the murder weapon close to where the stabbing took place at 2.45 pm on Sunday while Noura was out for an early afternoon stroll with her children. Later on Monday night, police recovered the white Renault Megane Bennis was said to have fled the scene in with his nine-year-old son. It was parked just a few streets away in Palma. It was also revealed within hours of the murder investigation being launched, that Noura Hichou has reported her estranged husband to the police for alleged domestic violence on five previous occasions and that on February 17, he was served with a 32-month restraining order. On September 19, Noura called the 112 emergency number to report Bennis for having broken the restraining order. Coincidentally, just 48 hours before Noura was stabbed, Bennis told the local Balearic television station IB3 that he was “very tired” of his wife and that he no longer “understood” what Hichou “wanted from him”. Friends and neighbours in the Es Rafal suburb where Noura lived with her brother and four children have been shocked by Sunday's events. All have spoken fondly of her as a hard working, attractive and happy person, although many have also spoken of a strained relationship between the two. Yesterday, flowers and candles were laid at the scene of the crime.