Moroccan NGO “Hand Off My Child” has released a new statement condemning the physical abuse of several minors during a summer camp in Al Hoceima.
The NGO told Morocco World News that it received a series of photos and videos documenting a man physically abusing minors with a wire.
The videos, which were shared with MWN, show a man striking two minors with a wire cable on their hands.
In addition, the NGO claimed that it also received a voice note from one of the fathers, who confirmed that his minor son was physically assaulted during a summer camp in Al Hoceima by one of the camp’s supervisors.
In response to the frustrated father’s message and other similar complaints, the NGO issued a strong condemnation of the mistreatment of the minors, arguing that this case again raises questions about the safety of summer camps. In particular, the NGO urged the government to assume its responsibility and prevent similar situations from happening.
“They should reconsider the monitoring mechanisms for camping centers and assess the current situation,” the NGO said of the government, stressing that such an assessment and monitoring mechanism should particularly focus on evaluating supervisors in various active campaign centers that adopt a “policy of violence and intimidation, rather than guidance.”
“Violence has never been and will never be an educational tool, these camps are meant for recreation and education, not torture camps,” said Najat Anwar, the president of the NGO.
The incident came just a few days after a shocking sexual abuse case of a nine-year old boy, who was allegedly raped during his participation in a summer camp.
The case was unveiled after a few women documented sexual abuse of a child on a beach in the city of El Jadida.
The two women took the video to the police to file a complaint against the man who appeared intimately kissing and hugging the boy, a situation that led to mounting concerns across Morocco.
Police arrested the suspect, the president of a sports association in Casablanca, who organized an unauthorized summer camp in which at least 14 boys participated.
The investigating judge said that a thorough inquiry will be launched on August 30 to determine all crimes attributed to the suspect in El Jadida case, who is facing several charges including rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking.
