Moroccan NGO Condemns Rising Sexual Harassment in Schools and Universities

While strongly condemning "these odious acts that undermine dignity and lead to serious harm to the mental and physical security of female students," Transparency Maroc explains that sexual extortion is a misuse of power for private purposes. "It is, therefore, one of the most intolerable forms of corruption. Beyond the university space, these practices are found in many other sectors where gender constitutes a currency of exchange."

Transparency Maroc "welcomes the rapid initiation of legal proceedings and the administrative decisions taken by the Department of Higher Education, certain universities and grandes écoles to counter and prevent these actions." To give more weight to the actions taken by the justice system, it calls for the introduction, in the draft Penal Code, of "sexual extortion as a form of corruption and abuse of power." It urges the public authorities to give administrations and establishments in the public and private sectors more means to help them cope with this phenomenon.

Transparency Maroc calls on the public authorities to conduct studies that could explain the causes and propose measures to prevent them. While expressing its outrage at these acts, the association believes that combating them should not serve as a pretext for violating the rights of the accused.

Based on its convictions, the association considers, however, that the extreme gravity of the acts must in no way constitute a pretext for disregarding "the fundamental principles guaranteeing a fair trial, including the presumption of innocence and the confidentiality of the investigation."