In recent days, a disturbing trend has emerged in Morocco, where individuals with pedophilic tendencies appear increasingly unphased by prison sentences, even going so far as to form a Facebook group called “Fanclub of Five Years of Prison lovers.”
Within this group, several men brazenly express their perverse desires for minors, openly discussing their willingness to serve prison time in pursuit of their disturbing urges.
The group members openly discuss their perverted desires without even using fictitious profiles, sharing screenshots from videos of kids, many of which were downloaded from TikTok.
What does the law say?
In an interview with MoroccoLatestNews, Ghizlane Mamouni, a lawyer, explained that the name of “the criminal association that constitutes this “club” visibly refers to article 503-2 of the penal code which provides sentences of 1 to 5 years of imprisonment for “anyone who provokes, incites or facilitates the exploitation of “children under the age of eighteen in pornography by any depiction, by any means, of a real, simulated or perceived sexual act or any depiction of the sexual organs of a child for purposes of a sexual nature”.
For several years now, civil society has been calling for the strengthening of penalties against such criminals and the establishment of specific legislation and public policies to address their heinous crimes.
“The very title of the page shows us to what extent the sanctions currently provided for by law and, above all, the derisory sentences handed down by the courts against child criminals (let us remember the recent case of Tiflet, who is just one example among many) have no deterrent effect on child criminals,” she further stated.
The lawyer, like many, ravaged by the provocative page, affirmed that the consequences of the exploitation of children for pornographic purposes are disastrous.
“Children are exposed to real risks of rape and sexual assault of all kinds when they are identified through these sites,” she warned.
Speaking on whether parents should partially be held accountable for allowing their children to be present on socials from a very early age, Ghizlane Mamouni noted that under the law, parents have a duty to ensure the protection of their children and to look after their health until they reach the age of majority.
“This involves monitoring their activities and making them aware of the dangers of the internet. That said, it is clear that parents are often overwhelmed by children who, often, master this tool better than them,” she underlined.
Therefore, “as we have been saying for a long time”, said the lawyer, it is urgent to invest in programs for education and prevention of sexual violence, as well as raising awareness among young people from an early age of the dangers of the Internet as well as the notions of consent and respect for oneself and others.
It is just as urgent to reform the Penal Code with a view, in particular, to keep an eye on offenses specific to child crime, accompanied by fair sanctions for the victims.
Everyone at their level must urge politicians to fully play their institutional and democratic role, in the service of citizens, which is theirs, and to exercise, without delay, the legislative power conferred on them by the Constitution by proposing and voting on laws to protect our children, asserted Mmaouni.
She concluded the interview by saying “To wait any longer is to accept this type of behavior and to be a partner in crime.”
Exploitation of quake victims
This disconcerting subject has garnered significant attention, particularly in the wake of the Al Haouz earthquake, which created a tragic backdrop that some opportunistic individuals used as an excuse to seek out vulnerable girls in the affected areas.
On September 14, following a big social media campaign that exposed and condemned the pedophilic content circulating on Facebook, authorities in the city of Errachidia took action.
A 20-year-old university student was apprehended on suspicion of his involvement in publishing content that encouraged sexual assault and the trafficking of minor girls online.
The detained student had brazenly declared on social media his intention to travel to the earthquake-affected region with the sinister purpose of sexually assaulting minor girls.
This alarming declaration triggered a swift and robust legal investigation, ultimately leading to the identification and arrest of the suspect.
In the same light, the issue of child and girl trafficking took on an even more urgent dimension.
Numerous volunteers who had been present in the affected quake areas posted pictures and videos that raised concerns, as they appeared to be in close proximity to young girls, accompanied by captions deemed highly inappropriate.
As the wave of social media outrage continues to expose these predators, MoroccoLatestNews sought the perspectives of local associations in the Al Haouz area to gauge public sentiment regarding the unfolding scandal.
Surprisingly and unfortunately, amidst the looming threat posed by these predators, many residents in the affected communities remain largely unaware of the sinister events unfolding in their surroundings.
Speaking on behalf of the association INSAF which is the National Institute of solidarity with women in distress, Meriem Othmani said that the laws in cases of human trafficking are clear and the penalties can reach up to 30 years in prison.
“The police authorities leave no stone unturned and pursue both guilty offenders and social media influencers involved,” concluded Othmani.