Rabat – In the wake of widespread outrage in Morocco after a court issued last week a light prison sentence for three child rapists, the Moroccan Spring of Dignity Coalition has called on people to participate in a sit-in on Wednesday, April 5, at 2 p.m. at Rabat’s Court of Appeal.
In a statement released on April 2, the Spring of Dignity Coalition said that it has expressed its outrage over the “unjust” verdict by launching the hashtag “#What kind of justice is this?”
The coalition stated that it organized the sit-in to protest the light verdicts given to individuals accused of raping women and girls in the Moroccan justice system.
The coalition aims to put an end to the “neglect” of women’s rights and dignity and to urge the government to “take responsibility for women’s protection.”
“The coalition urges all citizens to take part in this sit-in, as it reaffirms its commitment to the fight for legislative reform and calls for strong laws that protect women and girls from violence and end discrimination,” the coalition said in its statement.
On March 20, the criminal division of the Appeals Court in Rabat handed down a sentence of only two years in prison to three adult males found guilty of repeatedly raping and impregnating an 11-year-old child in Tiflet, a town in northwestern Morocco.
The victim, now 13 years old, is the mother of a one-year-old boy, and a DNA test determined that one of the rapists is the child’s father.
The verdict infuriated Moroccan citizens, activists, and associations, who expressed shock and disappointment in Morocco’s judicial system.
Read Also: Shock, Outrage in Morocco After Court Issued Light Prison Sentence for 3 Child Rapists
The association Jossour Forum for Moroccan Women said that the verdict was “unfair” for the victim,” emphasizing that defendants guilty of such crimes deserve “severer penalties.”
Morocco’s Justice Minister, Abdellatif Ouahbi, has also expressed shock at the verdict.
According to Article 486 of the Moroccan Penal Code, rape is a crime punishable by a 5 to 10-year prison sentence. However, if the victim is under the age of 18, is physically or mentally ill, or is pregnant, the perpetrator faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
