Mass outcry after Moroccan teenager ‘gang raped and tattooed’

A public outcry has arisen about alleged inhumane crimes against a Moroccan girl. The latest revelation was made only a year after a video of a young woman being sexually assaulted by a gang of teenage boys on a bus sparked outrage and led to a mass protest of thousands of women.

The girl, identified only as Khadija, was allegedly abducted from outside a relative’s house during the month of Ramadan. She was then held hostage for two months where other men would brutally torture her in exchange for money or drugs.

“I will never forgive them. They have destroyed me,” said Khadija in an interview with Morocco’s media. “They tortured me, they did not give me food or drink, and they did not even allow me to take a shower.”

The Moroccan government has yet announced its official stance on the case. The trial is set to begin on Thursday.

With grotesque crimes committed to the girl revealed, the public fury has expanded beyond Morocco to other Middle Eastern and African countries. Women are calling for countermeasures, carrying on a campaign under the “We are all Khadija” hashtag to demand justice. Human rights activists have published petitions urging King of Morocco to provide medical and psychological care to Khadija.


Dong-Il Seo dong@donga.com