Marrakech: A British tourist who wanted to help beggars ends up in custody and without a passport

Sam Rushton, a care worker, was on vacation in Marrakech with his brother. Touched by the precariousness of young beggars who were asking for powdered milk and oil, he solicited donations on social media to buy them supplies.

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To prove his good faith to the donors, the young man filmed himself offering these products. This initiative led to his immediate arrest by the Moroccan police, who accused him of "shaming" the country.

The police expressly reproached him for having recorded minors without their consent. Placed in custody for an evening, the tourist was released but deprived of his passport and mobile phone for more than a week.

His mother confides to the Daily Mail that this stay has turned into a real hell for their family. Deprived of access to his digital payments and without a translator, her son found himself completely helpless in the face of the language barrier.

A support kitty has fortunately made it possible to raise more than 2,500 pounds sterling. These funds were used to finance his emergency accommodation and to hire a lawyer on site to unblock his administrative situation.

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Thanks to this assistance, the Briton was able to land in Manchester in mid-March, with the follow-up of the British Foreign Office. His lawyer will nevertheless have to represent him at a hearing that has been postponed to next April.