A recent video that has surfaced on social media, featuring a man from an unspecified Gulf nation urging older men to travel to Morocco for the purpose of marrying underage girls, has ignited significant backlash. Many observers have condemned the video for promoting the exploitation of minors, raising alarms about the potential for child marriage and human trafficking. The man's inflammatory remarks, which many found deeply offensive and degrading to the dignity of Moroccan children and women, included a shocking suggestion that older men should take a 14-year-old girl as a bride, implying that such actions are harmless to their health.
The Free Hands Association has vocally denounced the statements made in the video, emphasizing that it explicitly encourages the exploitation of girls in Morocco under the guise of marriage, with some instances involving girls as young as 14 years old. This organization articulated that the video's content not only disrespects the dignity of young girls but also fosters practices that could be categorized as sexual exploitation and human trafficking, violating both Morocco's constitution and its international obligations regarding child protection and the eradication of all forms of discrimination against women.
Furthermore, the association highlighted that child marriage constitutes a form of gender-based violence and a grave infringement on children's rights. By depriving girls of essential opportunities such as education, healthcare, and personal development, child marriage exposes them to long-lasting psychological, social, and physical harm. The organization reiterated its rejection of any rhetoric that portrays underage girls as mere objects of exploitation, regardless of cultural, social, or religious contexts.
Similarly, the Dounia Coalition has condemned the video's contents, labeling it as dangerously provocative. The coalition argues that the video openly endorses the targeting of underage girls in Morocco and encourages older men to seek relationships or marriages with girls as young as 14. They assert that such rhetoric equates to incitement for human trafficking and normalizes exploitation, seriously undermining the dignity and rights of young girls.
The Dounia Coalition has called for the complete abolition of child marriage within Morocco's family code, pointing out that existing legal exceptions create loopholes that perpetuate the practice. They are advocating for enhanced collaboration among governmental institutions, civil society, and media outlets to combat such harmful narratives and strengthen child protection initiatives.
In a further response, the organization Matqich Weldi (Don’t Touch My Child) has addressed a letter to the Attorney General of His Majesty the King at the Public Prosecutor’s Office in Rabat. This letter expresses concerns about a foreign individual from an Arab country discussing marriage arrangements with a Moroccan operator of a marriage office in the disturbing video. They warn that such content promotes the normalization of sexual exploitation of minors under the pretext of marriage and have demanded an urgent judicial investigation, legal actions against those implicated, and measures to prevent any violations of children's rights.
Recent statistics from the Public Prosecutor’s Office reveal a troubling trend, with requests for child marriage authorization in Morocco increasing to 16,960 cases in 2024, representing an 11% rise compared to the previous year. Conversely, public prosecutors filed nearly 12,000 requests to reject child marriage applications, highlighting a complex and concerning landscape regarding this issue.
As reported by en.hespress.com.
