After setting the internet ablaze, the video of the assault on a woman and her young daughter by an octogenarian in Tetouan has alarmed women's rights advocacy groups. This incident has reignited the debate on gender-based violence.
How long will women continue to suffer in silence and endure sexist violence? women's associations are asking. Reacting to this heinous incident, the Attahadi Association for Equality and Citizenship (ATEC) expresses its deep indignation at the assault on a mother and her daughter in Tetouan, an act captured in a widely circulated video.
“This incident, far from being isolated, reflects an alarming reality: women continue to suffer daily from various forms of violence in our country”, ATEC states indignantly. According to the association: This situation highlights the limitations of current penal policies and repressive measures, which are not accompanied by effective public policies to transform the dominant mentalities that normalize violence as a means of resolving conflicts.
In a poignant statement, ATEC expresses its full solidarity with the victim and her family, while welcoming the swift reaction of the judicial authorities, which allowed the aggressor to be referred to the competent public prosecutor's office. The association also declares itself ready to offer legal support and psychological accompaniment to the victim.
However, this incident, which has sparked widespread public outrage, must be an opportunity to revive the debate on Law 103.13 on combating violence against women. Since its enactment in 2018, this law, initially welcomed positively by the association, has proven, in practice, to be insufficient to achieve its fundamental objectives. Worse, it sometimes constitutes an obstacle to women's access to justice, out of step with its initial intentions.
ATEC also calls for a review of rigid mentalities and ineffective public policies. The assault in Tetouan highlights the persistence of an archaic mentality that considers violence a legitimate solution to conflicts. Furthermore, this incident illustrates the inadequacy of current public policies, not only in terms of protecting women but also in raising awareness about the social and economic impact of violence against women.
Faced with this alarming situation, ATEC demands an effective adoption of ambitious public policies endowed with sufficient resources, aimed at sensitizing society to the importance of women's rights and their place in society. Such initiatives would have a direct and indirect impact on their protection.
It also recommends accelerating the revision of Law 103.13, in accordance with the commitments made for 2024 within the framework of the annual evaluation of public policies, in order to make this text truly effective for the protection of women.
Aware of the repercussions of any act of violence, the association urges officials to ensure a participatory approach in the development of reforms, by consulting feminist associations and women's rights organizations. These actors, with their field experience and in-depth research, can provide essential contributions.
ATEC firmly condemns this act of violence and calls for a mobilization of all stakeholders – authorities, civil society, citizens – in order to prevent the repetition of such tragedies.
It should be recalled that the Tetouan police have arrested the suspect. The investigations, conducted after a complaint filed by the victim, led to the arrest of the suspect. The latter, aged 80, has been placed in police custody pending the judicial investigation, under the supervision of the competent public prosecutor's office, in order to clarify the circumstances and details of this case.
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