The national Public Prosecutor’s Office released startling figures on Wednesday showing that 3,295 children in Morocco were reported to have been sexually assaulted in 2022, bringing the the average number of sexual assaults on children in Morocco to nine sexual assaults per day. Sexual assault represented more than 41% of the total crimes of violence committed against children in Morocco in 2022.
Moulay El Hassan Daki, the public prosecutor at the Court of Cassation and head of the Public Prosecutor’s Office, announced the figures during a workshop on the care of child victims of sexual abuse in accordance with the Council of Europe’s Convention on the Protection of Children against Sexual Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, also known as the “Lanzarote Convention.”
Daki emphasized that the General Prosecutor’s Office has issued instructions to various public prosecutor’s offices in different courts throughout Morocco, urging them to strengthen legal protection for children from all forms of violence, exploitation, and mistreatment, while ensuring strict enforcement of the law against those who commit these crimes.
The official also highlighted that the General Prosecutor’s Office is preparing a guide on how to listen to children who complain of crimes, including child victims of assault. The guide details specific techniques for listening that are designed to protect children’s interests and take into account their psychological state, and ensure that they are not subjected to more trauma by having to confront their attackers or go through legal proceedings inappropriate for their age. The guide also provides a framework for using remote communication mechanisms and other digital tools to achieve these goals.
The chief prosecutor emphasized that providing legal protection for children from various assaults, especially sexual assaults, is important to families and parents who wish to protect their children from predators. He stressed that criminals use modern digital tools and online platforms to lure child victims and sexually exploit them.
During the workshop, organized in partnership with the Council of Europe and attended by Christelle Decrem, President of the Lanzarote Convention Committee, Daki emphasized the importance of providing special care for abused children and paying attention to their physical and psychological wellbeing, as well as their family and social status.