Rabat- Two days after arriving in Morocco, German vlogger Susi Cruz experienced sexual harassment. Cruz’s harasser has been arrested after she shared a video online on July 1 to recount her experience.
In the video posted on her YouTube channel “Van Life,” Cruz, who is known for videos of her travels in her van, tearfully spoke of the stressful experience. “When I walk the street for five minutes, just one street, and ten different people approach me, and make noises as if I was a dog.”
Cruz said that she could not be herself while in Morocco’s Chefchaouen, known as the blue pearl. Even though she wore a conservative outfit of pants and a loose long-sleeved shirt, the harassing did not cease.
Moreover, she talked about a guy who was friendly and tried to cheer her up by inviting her to his shop, only to harass her for hours while in her van.
It got creepier when the guy did not want to leave the van and told Cruz that he wanted to be her boyfriend.
The man also asked her for money. Cruz was horrified and tried to reach for her wallet to give him money, but she could not find it: “My wallet was stolen, I have no driving license, no money and no credit card,” Cruz said.
Luckily, the man left Cruz’s van for a smoke and Cruz managed to lock the doors and drive for Spain.
After arriving in Spain, Cruz made a video discussing the incident in Chefchaouen, saying she was glad she was back in Spain because while in Morocco, the way men looked at her made her feel uncomfortable despite her flexible nature: “They made me feel so weak; I felt so powerless.”
Cruz also wrote, in the description of her video, that despite all, there were good things she enjoyed in the North African kingdom, and many women were nice to her:
“Please don’t get influenced by the things I say, because it’s only my perspective and I don’t want you to generalize moroccans or anything like that. there were also many good things which I will post in the next video.I just wanted to share this asap if any solo travelers decide to go there.”
After the video went viral on social media, Moroccan authorities arrested Cruz’s harasser, who featured in the clips.
In her Monday Instagram story, Cruz said: “The police found that guy because of the video. He was arrested because of harassment, possession of drugs and illegally working as a tour guide.”
Sexual harassment remains a serious issue in Morocco. Despite several anti-harassment campaigns and Morocco’s new law against violence, sexual harassment, and gender-based discrimination, women still get openly harassed in public.
According to the law, those accused of such crimes will receive jail time from one to six months, as well as a fine ranging from MAD 2,000 to 10,000.
