Morocco: Thousands support rape survivor
August 27, 2018
As of Monday evening, more than 18,000 people had signed a petition to Moroccan King Mohammed VI to provide support for a young woman who was tortured and held captive for two months.
"During her captivity, she was subjected to every torture imaginable: She was repeatedly raped by 15 men, beaten, deprived of food and basic sanitary needs, and had her body forcibly tattooed by her captors," petition organizers wrote.
The 17-year-old told the Moroccan broadcaster Chouf TV that she was kidnapped in June and held for two months by a gang of men in Oulad Ayad, a small town about 150 kilometers (90 miles) northeast of Marrakesh.
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'I want justice'
During her captivity, men would visit the house where she was held and pay the kidnappers to rape her, she said. "They didn't give me food or drink, and I was not even allowed to take a shower."
"I want justice to be done and [for them] to pay for what they have done to me," she added, according to the website Morocco World News.
Her father, Mohammed, told DW's Arabic service that officials, activists and journalists had reached out to the family. "A medical committee comprising associations, doctors and the Health Ministry will be formed to provide health care and psychological support for my daughter so that she can reintegrate into society," he said.
At least 12 people have been arrested in connection with the case, Naima Ouahli, of the Moroccan Association of Human Rights, told the AFP news agency. Mohammed confirmed that number. "Twelve people have been arrested so far, but that number could grow," he said.
Nationwide issue
Activists have pushed for more rights and stronger punishments to deter sexual violence against women following several high-profile cases over the past year.
Read more: Morocco outraged after teen raped on video
More than 50 percent of Moroccan women have been subjected to violence in some form, according to a report by the country's National Observatory on Violence Against Women. Those under the age of 30 and without paid work are the most vulnerable, Morocco's national security body reported.
Earlier this year, parliament adopted a new law to combat violence against women. Although the law provided new protections for survivors, human rights groups said it didn't go far enough.
"Few women will be able to get protection from their abusers under this law, as it requires a prosecution and a conviction of their abusers — and yet, little is provided in the law to set out duties of authorities to arrest, prosecute and convict abusers," Rothna Begum, Middle East and North Africa women's rights researcher at Human Rights Watch, said in February.