Rabat – Following the major social media outrage sparked by a viral street sexual harassment video in Tangier, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) has confirmed arresting a suspect this afternoon.
The arrest was made after an intervention from the DGSN-affiliated Information Vigilance Committee, which succeeded in identifying and arresting the individual who shot and shared the video of the assault, DGSN said in a statement.
The apprehended accomplice, a 15-year-old minor, was arrested on suspicion of his involvement in “public indecency and sexual harassment.”
The intervention was quickly initiated after footage of the assault went viral, sparking outrage and indignation among Moroccans.
The investigation showed that the incident occured in the “Boukhalef” area in Tangiers, northern Morocco, and that it was not subject of any notice or complaint from the victim.
Launched this morning, the investigation also resulted in the identification of the main suspect, who is still currently on the run.
Meanwhile, the minor suspected of participating in the assault was arrested and subjected to judicial investigation procedures, supervised by the competent public prosecution, noted DGSN’s statement.
Many netizens took it upon themselves to assist DGSN in their search for the harasser, by widely sharing pictures and screenshots of his face online.
With the main viral video’s main sexual harasser still at large, Instagram accounts with a large following, as well as influential social media figures, are encouraging people to share the aggressor’s picture.
But they are also urging people to stop sharing the explicit and graphic video of the sexual assault incidet, pointing out that the footage constitutes a violation of the victim’s intimacy.
