Rabat – A wave of anger and heartbreak swept through Morocco after a Tangier court sentenced a 16-year-old boy to 15 years in prison for the rape and murder of six-year-old Hidaya in the city of Ksar El Kebir. The crime shocked the country earlier this year, and many Moroccans are calling the sentence far too light for such a horrific act.
The atmosphere was emotional and tense during the court session. Videos circulating online show Hidaya’s mother crying and screaming in despair after the verdict was announced, shouting “Death penalty! Death penalty!”
“Even the death sentence would not ease the pain or heal the burn in my heart for my daughter,” the mother shouted outside the court. Her reaction has deeply moved people across the country and sparked renewed calls for justice and harsher punishments for crimes against children.
The case began when Hidaya’s body was found after she went missing from her neighborhood. Investigations later revealed that the accused, who is a neighbor, had lured, assaulted, and brutally killed her.
The sentence reignited a long-standing debate in Morocco about the protection of children and the perceived leniency of sentences in similar cases. Several cases of sexual violence against minors in recent years have led to public outrage over what many see as insufficient penalties. Critics argue that light sentences send the wrong message and fail to deter potential offenders.
Moroccans expressed anger and disbelief and social media. Many wrote that “15 years is not justice” and demanded reforms to strengthen laws and ensure that child predators face the harshest punishments possible.
Some users said the justice system “protects criminals more than victims,” while others called for the reinstatement of the death penalty in cases involving child murder and sexual assault.
“The mother is absolutely right, it’s unfair to her baby, he’ll be out at around 30. Who’s to say he won’t reoffend?” a social media user commented.
Another said, “15 years is indeed not a long sentence for such a heinous crime. He’ll get out at 32 if not earlier than that, and still have a long life ahead of himHer daughter won’t sadly.”
Morocco has witnessed several disturbing cases of child rape and murder in recent years that have sparked outrage over what many citizens consider lenient sentences.
One of the most infamous cases occurred in Tiflet, a small town near Rabat, where an 11-year-old girl was repeatedly raped by three men who later impregnated her. Despite the brutality of the crime, the local court initially sentenced the perpetrators to only two years in prison.
The decision sparked an outpouring of anger nationwide, with many calling it a “national disgrace.” The Justice Minister himself admitted that the verdict revealed serious flaws in Morocco’s criminal law, which he said allows for “shockingly lenient sentences” in crimes against minors.
“Each time something happens in Morocco, it takes me back to the criminal law … making me wonder whether there is a way out, a slip, or a distortion that can happen again tomorrow,” the minister said.
Following public pressure and intense media attention, the Rabat Court of Appeal later increased the sentences to 40 years in total, but for many Moroccans, the damage to public trust had already been done.
