Juvenile delinquency is spreading

"Can you take us with you to Essaouira?" two minors asked the police officers who had transported them under arrest a few hours earlier to appear before the investigating judge at the Safi Court of Appeal.An image that might make one smile, but which should also give pause to decision-makers in the security and judicial apparatus, as it reflects a most alarming observation regarding the spread and frequent impunity of juvenile delinquency."Juvenile delinquency is currently becoming the major concern for the security apparatus in Essaouira. The youth crime rate is clearly increasing: formation of criminal gangs, aggravated theft, violence and assault, rape, drug use, among others," states a security source who preferred to remain anonymous.Last week, for example, security services in Essaouira dismantled a criminal gang made up of four minors involved in burglary cases. Two criminals are…