Morocco Considers Abortion Law Reform Following Teen’s Death

The government believes that it is not possible to address "the Penal Code in a fragmented manner before Parliament according to events that occur in society," stressing that not speaking out in time on this sad case does not mean that the government remains insensitive. "Once again we stop to observe certain phenomena that hurt us as Moroccan citizens before being government officials."

While acknowledging that rape remains a real phenomenon despite the many provisions to discourage it, Mustapha Baitas said that no child should suffer such atrocities. "I do not minimize what happened. It is serious and serious, and it must not happen again, especially since it is a child who had life ahead of her and who was the victim of a phenomenon that exists in our society, we will not deny it." He stressed that the government feels concerned and concerned about the issue, and that "the planned amendments to the Penal Code will address this issue."

Morocco records between 600 and 800 illegal abortions per day with all possible consequences. Women’s and children’s rights associations are calling for tougher sentences for rapists and pedophiles and the decriminalization of VTP. Faced with the statistics of women who died from clandestine abortion, King Mohammed VI had mentioned in 2015 the possibility of partially legalizing abortion in 2015. VTP was to be legalized in "a few cases of force majeure" such as for "pregnancies resulting from rape or incest, or for serious malformations and incurable diseases that the fetus could contract," he said.

But unfortunately the work has never progressed. The amendments are blocked and many Moroccan women continue to resort to clandestine abortion and its drawbacks.