Rabat – A teenage boy was the victim of a brutal gang rape during the annual Moulay Abdellah Amghar festival in El Jadida province.
The child, referred to as W.B., is a 13-year-old boy who lost his father and whose mother suffers from a serious mental illness.
He attended the festival accompanied by a group of young men from Youssoufia, Sifi Benour, and Sifi Ahmed. During the event, some of these individuals repeatedly drugged and sexually abused him.
When the boy regained consciousness, he discovered that 14 men had assaulted him over the course of several days, beginning on Tuesday.
After returning to his hometown of Youssoufia on Friday, the boy, in a severely distressed psychological state, revealed the abuse to his neighbors, who usually look after him as his mother is ill.
The neighbors immediately reported the case to the police and accompanied him to the provincial hospital in Youssoufia. Due to the severity of his condition, doctors transferred him to the Mohammed VI University Hospital in Marrakesh for specialized treatment.
The shocking case has caused outrage in Morocco, with the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) calling on the Attorney General in Rabat to open an urgent investigation, identify those responsible, and hold them legally accountable.
Local sources said the child’s health quickly worsened, and he began showing signs of severe psychological trauma, even speaking in a hallucinatory state.
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In a letter signed by Mohamed Yassir, head of AMDH’s local committee in Youssoufia, the association stressed that sexual assault against children is a serious human rights violation and a crime under Moroccan law.
The group also noted Morocco’s obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, urging the state to ensure full protection for minors from exploitation and violence.
The association further demanded that the government activate special units for the protection of women and children from sexual abuse, provide the young victim with psychological treatment, and ensure justice for him and his family.
Moroccans took to social media to express their outrage at the shocking incident, questioning how such a tragedy could take place in the middle of a major cultural festival attended by thousands of people.
Several social media users claimed that the festival has previously seen incidents of abuse, drug use, and activities linked to superstition.
The public is now calling for a thorough investigation and strict punishment for all those involved.
