Rabat – The Moroccan NGO “Hands Off My Child” has reacted to a new case of horrific sexual child abuse that has sparked concerns and frustration over the safety of children at summer camps – particularly the unauthorized ones.
A disturbing video of a man kissing and hugging a 9-year-old boy on a beach in the city of El Jadida sparked outrage online.
A woman documented the disturbing incident through a video, which has since gone viral online.
On Sunday, converging reports announced the arrest of the perpetrator, with many reports indicating that the man is the president of a sports association in Casablanca. The arrest came following a complaint from the boy’s parents, who filed a lawsuit confirming that their child was raped.
The suspect is allegedly in police custody, pending investigations to uncover all details of the incident.
The NGO “Hands of my child” stressed that the perpetrator involved in the crime organized an unauthorized summer trip after “collecting money from parents whose children were members of his association.”
According to the NGO, this raises many questions on the different temporary vacation centers active under the “Holiday for All” program
Najat Anwar, the president of the NGO, said that she does not generalize every center, but all vacation centers should meet specific criteria, including making sure that children are safe and secured.
“This incident leads us to question several factors about these vacation centers, such as children’s safety and security measures,” Anwar said, noting that such monitoring should also take into account whether the camps’ supervisors are qualified and especially whether the institutions approved to receive children are qualified for camping and vacation programs.
Read also: Moroccans Outraged as Video Documents Shocking Case of Child Sexual Abuse
The NGO also suggested that institutions and centers receiving children for camping should also be equipped with surveillance systems.
“These questions will be answered through consultation and coordination with the responsible ministry and all involved parties, as well as with private entities organizing children’s camps,” the NGO stressed.
The aim of the consultation should be to assess and review the management of summer camps for children as well as to help restore trust among Moroccan families in such summer camps.
The case brought up debates about the need for harsher punishments against perpetrators of child sexual abuse and rape.
Under Article 486 of the Moroccan Penal Code, Moroccan courts sentenced perpetrators involved in rape crimes to prison sentences ranging between five to 10-year.
If the victim is under the age of 18 or is physically or mentally ill or is pregnant, the perpetrator faces a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
Despite the penal code, several courts sparked outrage for lighter sentences in similar cases. One of the latest cases that sparked outrage is the Tiflet rape crime, whose victim is a 11-year old girl who was repeatedly raped by three men.
In response, a Moroccan court handed a two-year prison sentence against the suspects, leaving many Moroccan citizens appalled and frustrated.
Faced with several petitions and appeals, the court subsequently sentenced the perpetrators to prison sentences of 10 to 20 years during an appeal trial.
