News Center – Violence against women in Morocco continues to be a serious social and humanitarian issue that goes beyond individual cases, exposing structural deficiencies in the legal and institutional protection system.

In the city of Taza, on September 24, a young woman named Iman was attacked in the street by her ex-husband with a knife. The attack left her with deep cuts on her face requiring 132 stitches, as well as serious damage to her eye.

She had previously been sexually assaulted

Iman had previously been sexually assaulted by the same man, which resulted in pregnancy. She was then forced to marry her assailant in order to have the child officially registered. After the divorce, the threats continued, and the attack occurred just a few days after the perpetrator was released from prison.

Call for laws to be reviewed

The perpetrator was arrested by security forces in the city of Sefrou. The Taza branch of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights announced that it had joined the case. The association and other rights groups demanded that psychological and medical support be provided to the woman, that she be assigned a lawyer, and, in particular, that laws allowing an assailant to marry the victim be reviewed. These laws were highlighted as a direct factor perpetuating violence against women.

The perpetrator must be prosecuted

The incident once again brought the issue of protecting women from domestic and sexual violence to the forefront in the country. Human rights organizations called for harsher penalties and the strengthening of legal and social prevention mechanisms. The women’s rights organization “Injad Network Against Sexual Violence” described the attack as “a brutal violation of women’s right to physical and psychological security.” The organization demanded that Iman be provided with full medical and psychological support and that the perpetrator be prosecuted in accordance with the gravity of his crime.