Morocco should enact a meaningful law on domestic violence and repeal the penal code provision that in practice has allowed men accused of raping or having sex with minors to avoid prosecution if they wed their victims, Human Rights Watch said today. A 16-year-old girl apparently took her life on March 10, 2012, after entering a marriage under these conditions.
The death of Amina Filali in a village in northern Morocco has fueled a public debate around the controversial penal code article 475, including demonstrations in Rabat and other cities, and extensive coverage in state and independent media.
A top Moroccan newspaper editor, convicted and jailed under the penal code for his writings, was freed Saturday after serving a year in prison.
In Morocco, a man who has sex with an under-aged girl can escape prosecution by marrying her. Some judges even allow a man accused of raping a girl to go free as long as he marries her.
