Gendarmerie Dismantle Child Prostitution Ring in Guelmim

Rabat – Morocco’s royal gendarmerie forces have dismantled a gay prostitution ring that has been enslaving underage students in the town of Bouizakarne in the Guelmim province.

After a video was widely circulated in the town through Whatsapp in October, allegedly showing a well-known merchant in a sexual encounter with a secondary school student, elements of the gendarmerie had been making a move to arrest all the suspects involved.

After the incident, the authorities arrested the merchant and the secondary school student for investigation. The man told the authorities that the video was leaked by someone who was trying to blackmail him for money.

The incident pushed the authorities to find more possible suspects involved in a same-sex prostitution ring. The merchant then told investigators that it is not only him who is involved in this case, but also other people that use their money to coerce school students into sex.

The merchant confessed that many people are involved in this ring, including truckers, a cleric, and a government employee, reported Moroccan magazine Telquel Arabic.

After the confessions, the elements rushed to arrest all the people mentioned during the investigations. Fifteen people involved in this case were arrested since October.

Another student was arrested this week for his alleged involvement in the affair. The student revealed the names of more people involved in the gay prostitution ring. The list of suspects includes other local clerics, merchants and employees. After this investigation, the authorities made 10 arrests in differents areas, including Sidi Ifni, Tiznit, and Ifrane.

Authorities are still searching for 29 other suspects involved in this case.  Telquel Arabic added that the students were enslaved and used for sexual encounters in apartments rented for less than MAD 100.

Telquel added that human rights organizations have been following this case after the leaking of the video, calling for more centers to protect children’s rights in rural areas. The organizations have been also urging the Ministry of Education to adopt sexual education in Moroccan schools, with the view to reducing the sexual exploitation of minors.