Rabat – A 13-year-old Moroccan girl named Fatima Zahra was kidnapped by a gang of sub-Saharan migrants on the night of Monday, May 9 in Casablanca, Morocco.
According to eyewitnesses, the young girl ran away from her family home late at night following a fight with her parents. She met with a teenage boy, who is also her neighbor, who tried to convince her to return home.
Soon after, a gang of sub-Saharan migrants armed with knives attacked the two teenagers. They physically assaulted the boy and robbed him of his belongings, but he managed to escape as the kidnappers were only interested in abducting the young girl.
The kidnappers took Fatima Zahra by force to an abandoned cemetery located in the Hay El Farah neighborhood. Known as “the forgotten graveyard,” the cemetery is home to many sub-Saharan migrants.
Following his escape, the young boy alerted the police to the incident, who immediately carried out a large ground search of the cemetery and its surroundings. But authorities did not find any evidence leading to the teenage girl or her abductors.
Police have arrested a number of people, including sub-Saharan migrants, who lived in the abandoned cemetery. The suspects arrested were taken to the police headquarters for questioning.
The investigation is currently underway and the search for the missing girl continues, with many volunteers helping the police with the search in the cemetery for any evidence that might help the case.
Using the Arabic hashtag #Save_Fatima_Zahra, many on social media have been calling on Moroccan authorities to double efforts to save the kidnapped girl.
The incident caused a huge uproar among Moroccan internet users, with many resorting to hateful and racist comments towards sub-Saharan migrants in Morocco.
Meanwhile, others have denounced the abduction of the young girl but also rejected the racism directed toward sub-Saharans.
Read also: Brutal Murder of Sub-Saharan Student Sparks Anti-Racism Protests in Algeria
