Moroccan Human Rights Group Warns of Surge in Sexual Violence Cases

According to Souad Brahma, a lawyer and head of the association, 6,153 cases of sexual violence have been handled by Moroccan courts, including 3,153 cases of rape on minors and women, noting that the number of complaints for sexual violence has increased by 50% compared to 2020, according to updated data from the Moroccan public prosecutor’s office.

In total, 96,272 cases of sexual violence were recorded by the public prosecutor’s office, it is specified. Figures that do not reflect reality, notes Brahma, stressing that the fear of denouncing the aggressors, for cultural reasons, and the lack of means to deal with legal procedures, prevent the majority of victims from filing a complaint before the courts.

In view of these findings, the president of the AMDH calls for a "necessary reform of the Penal Code to prevent sexual abuse, protect minors and women and deter potential aggressors". Faouzia Yassin, coordinator of the feminist collective "Printemps de la dignité", for her part, added that only 3% of victims of sexual violence file a complaint.