The ordeal of a 17-year-old Moroccan has shocked the country to its core after the teenager, named Khadija, recounted her experience.
In a TV interview last week, the young woman said she was abducted in front of her aunt's house in the city of Fquih Ben Saleh in June by a gang of at least 10 notoriously dangerous young men.
In her testimony Khadija recalls being held for two months, during which time she was raped and tortured by her captors.
Videos circulated on social media show traces of torture on the young woman's arms and neck – including tattoos, scars and cigarette burns. One of the tattoos appeared to be a swastika.
"I tried to escape several times, but I was caught and beaten. They tortured me, they did not give me food or drink, and they did not even allow me to take a shower," she said in a video, speaking with her head covered by a black scarf.
"I will never forgive them, they destroyed me."
In response, social media users have taken to using the hashtag #JusticePourKhadija to express their horror and call on authorities to take action. "I want justice for what they did to me," she told Moroccan station Chouf TV.
Hundreds of Moroccans have signed a petition urging authorities to provide urgent medical and psychological care for her. More than 3,400 people had signed the petition by Sunday night.
The captors released the teenager after weeks of negotiations with Khadija's family. The men and the family reached a deal – the gang would release her if Khadija's father agreed not to report them to the police.
"My father had told them to release me and he promised them to say nothing to the authorities. But it was I who told the police everything. I want justice and for them to pay for what they did to me," HuffPost cites her as saying.
_______________
Read more:
Morocco boycott targets cosy business and political elite
Bayut owner EMPG acquires Moroccan real estate website Mubawab
_______________
The men, including the owner of the house where Khadija was kept for two months, have been arrested.
In 2014, Morocco's parliament amended an article of the penal code that allowed rapists of underage girls to avoid prosecution by marrying their victims. This followed a string of violence against teenage girls and intensive lobbying for better protection against rape victims.
Last year, 1,600 cases of rape were heard by Moroccan courts, twice as many as previous years. Human rights groups say more needs to be done to help and protect Moroccan women.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies direct from Dubai to Rio de Janeiro from Dh7,000 return including taxes. Avianca fliles from Rio to Cusco via Lima from $399 (Dhxx) return including taxes.
The trip
From US$1,830 per deluxe cabin, twin share, for the one-night Spirit of the Water itinerary and US$4,630 per deluxe cabin for the Peruvian Highlands itinerary, inclusive of meals, and beverages. Surcharges apply for some excursions.
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Stage results
1. Julian Alaphilippe (FRA) Deceuninck-QuickStep 4:39:05
2. Michael Matthews (AUS) Team BikeExchange 0:00:08
3. Primoz Roglic (SLV) Jumbo-Visma same time
4. Jack Haig (AUS) Bahrain Victorious s.t
5. Wilco Kelderman (NED) Bora-Hansgrohe s.t
6. Tadej Pogacar (SLV) UAE Team Emirates s.t
7. David Gaudu (FRA) Groupama-FDJ s.t
8. Sergio Higuita Garcia (COL) EF Education-Nippo s.t
9. Bauke Mollema (NED) Trek-Segafredo s.t
10. Geraint Thomas (GBR) Ineos Grenadiers s.t
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The drill
Recharge as needed, says Mat Dryden: “We try to make it a rule that every two to three months, even if it’s for four days, we get away, get some time together, recharge, refresh.” The couple take an hour a day to check into their businesses and that’s it.
Stick to the schedule, says Mike Addo: “We have an entire wall known as ‘The Lab,’ covered with colour-coded Post-it notes dedicated to our joint weekly planner, content board, marketing strategy, trends, ideas and upcoming meetings.”
Be a team, suggests Addo: “When training together, you have to trust in each other’s abilities. Otherwise working out together very quickly becomes one person training the other.”
Pull your weight, says Thuymi Do: “To do what we do, there definitely can be no lazy member of the team.”
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.