'Hands Off My Child' Launches Campaign to Safeguard Children Affected by Earthquake

Rabat – Morocco World News (MWN) and “Hands Off My Child,” a leading Moroccan NGO, are joining forces to safeguard children’s rights in the wake of the devastating earthquake that shook central Morocco on September 8.

Under the initiative, MWN and Hands Off My Child will monitor online content relating to the earthquake to ensure that no child abuse is taking place. The two organizations urge people to send screenshots, posts, or any reports of suspicious activities relating to child abuse.

“We’ve all noticed that there are people who are only concerned with generating buzz on social media, taking pictures of children or taking pictures with the children, there are those who want to marry minors, there are people who want to adopt, and there those who want to take young girls and use them as maids,” Najat Anwar, President of the NGO said.

Anwar’s remarks are in reference to a recent online media campaign that was encouraging men to head to the earthquake-struck regions and marry young girls who lost their parents in the earthquake.

In the aftermath of the disaster and as the country grappled to open roads and reach remote areas, numerous reports have emerged regarding individuals, primarily adult males, making disturbing remarks and engaging in actions that raise significant concerns regarding the well-being and safety of already vulnerable children.

These incidents include a social media campaign encouraging Moroccan men to travel to these villages and marry underage girls in an attempt to “safeguard” them after they have lost their families and homes.

Alarming images have circulated on social media depicting grown men in the company of underage girls, with allegations that they have proposed marriage to these young minors who are in a particularly vulnerable state.

In response to this alarming trend, Moroccan activists and the general public have united in urging authorities to step in and safeguard these children against potential human trafficking and exploitation.

Earlier this week, police in the Moroccan city of Errachidia arrested a 20-year-old university student suspected of posting social media content that encouraged the sexual exploitation of underage girls victims of the earthquake.

The suspect said on a social media post that he would travel to areas devastated by the earthquake with the disturbing intention of sexually assaulting young girls.

Police have further announced that ongoing technical and field investigations are underway to identify and apprehend anyone else involved in posting similar content that incites the exploitation of young girls affected by the earthquake.

Following the disturbing reports, Morocco has introduced a “green hotline” that citizens can utilize to report any potential cases of human trafficking.

Responding to the situation, Hands Off My Child’s president explained that given the organization’s public-benefit nature, it holds the right to take legal action against individuals who seek to take advantage of the humanitarian crisis to exploit children.

“Anyone who was proven to have subjected a child victim of the earthquake to abuse, we will take legal action against them,” Anouar asserted.