Minister of Justice reiterates the necessity of criminalizing child marriage to end this plight

Minister of Justice, Mr. Abdellatif Ouahbi has stressed the necessity to reexamine the action carried out by cells in charge of taking care of women victims of violence, because he is not convinced of it.

Minister Ouahbi has called, in his response to MPs questions during an oral session held at the Parliament last Monday, November 28, 2022, for the necessity for tougher penalties in cases of violence against women, informing that only this year, 100 social assistants were hired to take care of women victims of violence, on condition that they speak Berber.

Minister Ouahbi sees that violence against women is very complex since it is at the same time social, moral and legal and that there are many women who are subject to violence at home but most of the time keep silent and only between 5 and 10 per cent at best file a claim.

The Minister has reiterated the necessity of criminalizing child marriage and abolishing permission offered by the judge, informing that in 2017, 26 thousands cases of child marriage have been registered, and that the number has reached 19 thousands in 2019.

Minister Ouahbi considered that criminalizing will end the plight of child marriage, and so exception will be abolished and marriage age will become at 18 years.