Teenager’s Gang Rape Claim Inspires #MeToo Movement in Morocco
- Activists use ‘Masaktach’ hashtag to push for change
- Culture of silence over rape, abuse will be tough to overcome
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Khadija Ouqrou was outside her aunt’s house in the central Moroccan town of Ouled Ayad when a man dragged her off at knife-point. The teenager says she was gang-raped and abused for two months then dumped home after her father promised not to tell the police.
In a rare break with conservative mores prevalent in most Islamic countries, where families tend to hush up rape to avoid stigma, the 17-year-old insisted on pressing charges. She spoke of her ordeal on camera, leading to the arrest of 12 men.