Moroccan Court Sentences Four Minors in Tangier Sexual Assault Case

The announcement of the verdict, which represents a total of 12 years of incarceration, caused consternation among the families of the accused, present in the courtroom. Cries and lamentations erupted when the judgment, considered severe by the relatives of the convicted, was pronounced.

To recall, the facts date back to an assault that occurred on the Tangier corniche. A video, widely circulated on social networks in Morocco, showed the young victim being harassed. But this video did not tell the whole story. In an audio recording, circulated on social networks, the anonymous victim explained her version of the facts. She notably said that the assault had started with an attempted theft that had then escalated.

"I was wearing a jacket that went below the knees, as ordinary people do. So it was not short, as it appears in the video. I was not the only one wearing this type of clothing, everyone wears them, we see them on television, on social networks and in the street in a normal way. If you look closely, the jacket had mid-length sleeves, the top was not exposed, and it went down to the knees," she said in tears.

The public prosecutor’s office had requested and obtained the conviction of the four minors for indecent assault with violence. The first and fourth accused were also prosecuted for drug use. The case had been postponed the previous week so that the Criminal Chamber could examine it in detail. The four accused, detained in the Tanger 2 prison, appeared for the third time before the court, in the absence of the victim.