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Rabat – Tangier’s Court of Appeal on December 16 has sentenced a 17-year old to one year imprisonment for his role in an infamous Tangier sexual harassment case. The court found the young man guilty of sexually harassing his victim, evidence of which was recorded and shared online.
Three months ago, a scene of street sexual harassment filmed in Tangier was widely shared on social media platforms and sparked outrage among netizens across Morocco.
The main suspect was filmed lifting a woman’s skirt, revealing private parts of her body and assaulting her before running away laughing.
Only two hours after the video went viral, the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) announced it had arrested the 15-year-old minor accomplice who filmed and shared footage of the assault.
Two other minors were also arrested for their involvement in documenting and publishing the harassment video.
The main suspect was arrested on September 14 in the Boukhalef area in Tangier. A report from DGSN stated that the main suspect is a 17-year-old minor.
The victim has decided to withdraw charges, waving her legal right to prosecute her attackers, an unfortunate but common occurrence in Moroccan society.
Read Also: Horrific Footage Documenting Sexual Assault Sparks Outrage in Morocco
This isn’t the first time similar aggression against women has occurred in Tangier. In October, the Moroccan online community expressed outrage following the spread of a video clip where a man approached a woman from behind and reached his hand up her dress as she walked.
Authorities immediately opened an investigation and arrested the 16-year-old suspect.
According to the Regional Directorate of the High Commissioner for Planning, 9 girls and women out of 10 have experienced at least one form of violence in the Tangier-Tetouan Al Hoceima region in northern Morocco.
The percentage of women and girls who were subject to at least one type of violence in the region is estimated to be 88.3%, compared to a national average of 82.6 %.
UN Women also shared alarming figures on online harassment against women in the MENA region, indicating that 1 in 3 women have seen online violence move offline, in everyday life outside the digital space while 33% admitted to experiencing both online and offline violence.
