Morocco Sees Sharp Decline in Child Marriage Approvals, Courts Reject 20,200 Requests

Authorizations for the marriage of minors have dropped sharply. In total, 20,200 requests for authorization to marry a minor made to Moroccan courts were refused last year, compared to 12,773 in 2020, following requests from the competent public prosecutors, said the Attorney General of the King at the Court of Cassation, President of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, Moulay El Hassan Daki, who was speaking at a training session for judicial officials on the theme "the role of public prosecutors for effective protection of women".

This number of refusals is proof that "the approach adopted by the public prosecutor’s office has had a positive impact on the interaction of public prosecutors with the subject". The judicial official recalled the actions that have been implemented. These include circulars addressed to prosecutors’ offices calling on them to be vigilant about requests for authorization of marriages of minors; to ensure compliance with the conditions imposed by the legislator for the validity of this marriage, and not to hesitate to refuse any request that goes against the best interests of the minor girl, reports the daily Assabah.

"The vision of the Presidency of the Public Prosecutor’s Office on violence against women and girls also includes the issue of the marriage of minor girls as a violation of human rights," added Moulay El Hassan Daki.