Morocco To Set Up Institutions for Abused Children

Morocco’s Ministries of Justice and of Solidarity, Social Integration, and Family will create institutions to provide shelter and protection for children who were victims of rape, said Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi Monday.
Speaking at the Lower House on deterrent penalties for child rapists, the Minister said that this initiative is aimed at supporting victims and taking them out of the abusive environment in which they are living.
Ouahbi emphasized the importance of abolishing the mitigating circumstances of criminal provisions related to child rape, as well as parents’ waivers.
The decision came after the recent child rape incident in Tiflet. Two defendants were sentenced to 10 years each while the main offender, who impregnated the minor, was handed 20 years, after appealing a light first instance sentencing.
The minister also highlighted the importance of providing psychological and social support to this vulnerable social category, as well as ensuring their rights and preserving their physical integrity, adding that criminal law has been revised to safeguard this fundamental international legal principle.