Video of sex assault on Casablanca bus sparks outrage

A video of a group of boys laughing while sexually assaulting a young woman on a bus in Casablanca has been extensively shared on social media. File picture: Tracey Adams/ANA Pictures

A video of a group of boys laughing while sexually assaulting a young woman on a bus in Casablanca has been extensively shared on social media. File picture: Tracey Adams/ANA Pictures

Published Aug 22, 2017

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London - A video of a

young woman being sexually assaulted by a gang of teenage boys

on a bus in Casablanca has sparked outrage in Morocco,

reigniting a bitter debate about violence against women in the

Muslim country.

The video, which was posted on social media on Sunday, shows

four boys sexually molesting a woman while laughing, tearing her

clothes off and insulting her in Arabic.

The woman – who the authorities said had learning

difficulties – is seen in tears, crying for help, while neither

the bus driver nor any of the passengers intervene.

Sexual harassment and abuse of women is rife in Morocco

where a national survey found that nearly two-thirds of women

had experienced physical, psychological, sexual or economic

abuse.

Earlier in August a video showing a mob of men hounding a

young woman on a street in Tangier caused uproar in the media.

On Monday the Moroccan authorities said they had arrested

six boys aged 15 to 17 for their "presumed implication in the

woman's aggression" and put them under investigation.

While the video sparked widespread condemnation on social

and local media, some users accused the woman of having

"provoked the men with indecent clothing".

One man wrote on Facebook that "I condemn the act but cover

yourselves up, this one was easy to undress."

Moroccan charity Don't Touch My Child called for any

witnesses to come forward "to bring to justice this barbaric

horde who shamefully attacked a young women".

Public transport company M'Dina Bus condemned the incident

and said it was collaborating with authorities in the north

African kingdom, which is trying to attract investors and

tourists by presenting itself as a safe haven. 

Thomson Reuters Foundation

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