Morocco: Rape Victims’ Defense Group to File International Defamation Complaint Against Activist Maati Monjib

Rape Victims’ Defense Group announced, Thursday in Rabat, its decision to file an international defamation complaint against human rights activist Maati Monjib, following his defamatory allegations undermining the victims of  Taoufik Bouachrine, a journalist who had been found guilty of human trafficking, abuse of power for sexual purposes, rape and attempted rape, and who is purging a 15-year prison sentence.

The group decided to sue Maati Monjib, who also holds a French passport, by filing a complaint in France, said lawyer Abdelfattah Zahrach during a press conference held by the Rape Victims’ Defense Group.

This approach does in no way underestimate the national judiciary, insisted Zahrach, stressing that the Moroccan judiciary, in all independence and impartiality, has done what is necessary in this case.

During this conference, held under the theme “The rights of victims, between sovereignty of justice, State of institutions and tendentious allegations”, the lawyer at the Rabat bar strongly condemned the remarks made by Monjib, presuming that the victims of Taoufik Bouachrine are the creation of a “secret structure”. Zahrach further asserted that the statement of Maati Monjib are a senseless and heartless attack on the victims. He also stressed that Bouachrine’s victims are real human beings who are dealing with post-traumatic issues because of the sexual assaults they had experienced and the psychological, moral and material repercussions they have been enduring thereafter.

During this press conference, moving testimonies were given by Taoufik Bouachrine’s victims, in particular Asmaa Hallaoui and Naïma Lahrouri, in addition to the testimony of Hafsa Boutahar who accuses journalist Omar Radi of sexual assault. They recounted their daily sufferings, as well as the repercussions on their professional, social and personal lives. In these heartbreaking testimonies, the victims vigorously denounced the defamation they suffered by third parties who called into question their status as victims of sexual assault, saying that they have chosen today to testify in order to break social taboos relating to sexual assault. In this context, they urged all victims to file a complaint against their attackers and not remain silent against these heinous crimes.