Rabat – Morocco’s Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi said that he was “shocked” to learn about the verdict in the Tiflet child rape case.
The verdict in question concerns a two-year prison sentence a judge issued for three adult males who were found guilty of repeatedly raping and impregnating an 11-year-old child in the city of Tiflet, northwestern Morocco.
Issued on March 20, the verdict caused widespread outrage from citizens and human rights organizations.
Speaking to the press, Ouahbi said that the case is still not closed, and expressed his satisfaction with the public prosecutor’s decision to appeal the verdict before a higher court.
Many media outlets across Morocco have joined the chorus of condemnation, conveying frustration from ordinary citizens and public figures alike.
“The rape case of the child struck us all, and made us question, as a society, which measures should we reinforce and implement, on a legislative, intellectual, and educational level, to protect children from rape,” Ouahbi was quoted as saying in local media.
The minister further added that Morocco needs to reinforce and implement laws that can severely punish perpetrators of such deeds. “At the justice ministry, we are committed on a legislative level to make rape verdicts more severe to protect children from rape, drug abuse, and other assaults against them,” he said.
Under Moroccan law, the penalty for raping a minor under 18 is a 10 to 20 years prison sentence.
Aside from expressing their outrage, activists spoke out against the “banalization” of rape cases in the Moroccan justice system, noting individuals accused of rape have over the years been systematically handed light verdicts.
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