Agadir – The Moroccan NGO Touche Pas à Mon Enfant (Don’t Touch My Child) has raised the alarm over the reported sexual assault of minors in Ceuta following the recent surge in crossings to the Spanish enclave, calling for urgent investigations and stronger protection measures for vulnerable children.
In an official statement issued today, the organization said it was following with “grave concern” developments involving children and minors in Ceuta, particularly amid reports of sexual assaults against underage girls and the presence of children and adolescent girls in highly vulnerable situations without adequate protection.
The NGO stressed that the risks facing minors do not end once they reach Ceuta, noting that the period following arrival can expose unaccompanied or inadequately protected children to violence, exploitation, trafficking, blackmail, and sexual assault.
“Reported cases of sexual assault against minors must be treated with the utmost seriousness and urgency, and must be subject to rigorous and independent investigations,” the organization said.
At the same time, “Don’t Touch My Child” urged caution over unverified figures circulating about the number of alleged victims, stressing the need for verified information while calling for authorities to take reported cases seriously.
The NGO called for all minors present in Ceuta to be identified and for their legal and social situations to be assessed. It also urged authorities to provide safe and appropriate accommodation for underage girls and unaccompanied children.
The organization further called for medical, psychological, and social assistance for any child who may have experienced violence or exploitation, alongside judicial investigations into all reported cases of sexual assault and the prosecution of anyone found responsible.
“Don’t Touch My Child” also called for efforts to locate the families of minors and facilitate family reunification whenever it serves the best interests of the child.
The NGO urged Moroccan and Spanish authorities to strengthen coordination to ensure the protection, rights, and dignity of the Moroccan minors concerned.
“A child, regardless of their administrative status or the circumstances of their migration, remains above all a child entitled to fundamental rights to protection, safety, and dignity,” the organization said.
It described the protection of minors in such circumstances as a “shared human and legal responsibility,” stressing that “no child should be left without protection between borders, administrative procedures, or disputes over jurisdiction.”
