Rabat – The Moroccan National Human Rights Council (CNDH) zoomed into several struggles faced by Moroccan children in the wake of the devastating earthquake that struck the Al Haouz region on September 8 last year.
The earthquake left a trail of destruction in its wake, with the official earth toll estimated at least 3,000 while thousands more were injured.
Remote areas which were already facing vulnerabilities were particularly hit hard, and children in these regions were especially susceptible not only to the immediate disastrous effects of the earthquake but also its harrowing aftermath.
Sexual abuse, exploitation of desperate children
The report issued today to mark the National Children’s Rights Day documented disturbing instances of children being subjected to harassment, exploitation, and even having their plight publicized without their consent.
The council’s human rights committee acknowledged the presence of publications, including videos, images, and social comments containing content targeting children in earthquake- affected areas, especially girls.
“Some of these publications imply sexual connotations and incite sexual assaults on children,” the report acknowledged, noting that the committee also identified other content aiming to exploit children.
In addition, the report recalled the arrest of a university student last year for publishing content inciting sexual assaults on minors in earthquake-affected areas.
A Moroccan court subsequently sentenced the individual to three months in prison, but the appeals court in Errachidia, southern Morocco, overturned the initial verdict and declared the same person innocent.
“It became evident that many of them omitted essential contexts, invalidating these claims,” the report the council recalled the report as lamenting, noting the verification of several claims alleging sexual harassment of girls in the earthquake-hit areas.
CNDH also condemned reports on sexual harassment in the affected areas for failing to adequately protect the identities of the affected girls.
“Such behavior in the digital space,e specially concerning allegations of harassment and sexual assault against children, may lead to severe stigmatization and potential adverse effects on the children involved,” the Council noted.
Use of children’s data and images without consent
It also warned that disseminating unverified claims of harassment and sexual assault against children, without sufficient caution or taking necessary actions to verify, may cause significant harm to individuals who may later be proven innocent, as as the case with some claims investigated in this context.
The Council further mentioned videos and other content by influencers and other social media users containing calls for “helping” the earthquake victims by employing them as domestic workers.
“These videos and clips received strong condemnation and outrage from social media users, leading the owners of this content to promptly delete it,” CNDH said. Moroccan law sets the minimum age for work at 18, it noted, stressing that insensitive calls to “help” earthquake-affected children by employing them as domestic workers amounted to a brazen violation of the law.
“Several similar posts contained calls for marrying girls from earthquake victims, some of which hinted at the intention to exploit the girls and exploit the situation of the earthquake,” CNDH said, reaffirming its ongoing advocacy against underage marriage.
CNDH further detailed the challenges posed by the constant violation of children’s rights and right to privacy, warning that sharing or displaying images of children on the internet “may have negative consequences,…possibly affecting them even in later stages of their lives.”
In some cases “coverage of certain children’s situations may lead to their stigmatization,” it further warned, underlining that the UN convention on the rights of the child guarantees the need to obtain consent when dealing with children’s data and images.
CNDH President Amina Bouayach commented on the report’s findings, saying that the Council’s recommendations were the result of field visits and meetings with children, NGOs and relevant local authorities, especially those related to the September 8 earthquake and its consequences.
“The council aims to enhance preparedness and resilience in facing disasters, promote the principle of children’s participation, and improve the conditions for a safe digital environment for children,” she added, renewing her condolences and the nation’s solidarity with all victims of the earthquake.
