Human Trafficking in [Morocco] [other countries]Street Children in [Morocco] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Morocco |
Child Prostitution The Commercial Sexual Exploitation of
Children The |
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accompanying text have been culled from the web to illuminate the situation
in U.S.
Dept of Labor Bureau of International Labor Affairs INCIDENCE
AND NATURE OF CHILD LABOR - Girls and boys working as domestic servants and street vendors are
increasingly targets of child sex tourism, particularly in the cities of
Marrakech and Bur of Democracy,
Human Rights & Labor - Country
Reports on Human Rights Practices - 2005 WOMEN - The law prohibits prostitution; however, it was
prevalent, especially in urban centers. NGO activists estimated that there
were thousands of teenage prostitutes
in urban centers. Their clientele were both foreign tourists and citizens. In
July the government acted against sex tourism, convicting 60 local prostitutes in Agadir,
a resort town. Authorities also arrested three young women in Agadir after their photographs were discovered on a
pornographic Web site. The arrests drew criticism from human rights
activists, who pointed out that the men involved, tourists from Gulf
countries and TRAFFICKING
IN PERSONS –
Prostitution of trafficked minors was a particular problem in the village of
El Hajeb near Meknes, as
well as in Agadir and Marrakech, which attracted
sex tourists from Europe and the Arab Gulf states. To combat prostitution the government amended
the penal code in 2003 to make sex tourism a crime, while other amendments
increased the penalties for promoting child pornography and child prostitution and for employing
underage children. Recent arrests indicate that the amendment had an impact. Concluding
Observations of the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) - 2003 [62] The Committee welcomes the
hosting by the State party of the Arab-African Forum Against Commercial
Sexual Exploitation of Children in preparation for the Yokohama Conference
and notes that the Penal Code is under review regarding this issue, but remains
concerned at the high incidence of sexual exploitation in the State
party. The Committee is also concerned
at the fact that the legislation of the State party does not protect all
children below 18 years from sexual exploitation as various ages have been
set in several acts regarding sexual exploitation. The Committee is further concerned at the
status of child victims of sexual exploitation who may be treated as
offenders. ECPAT:
Fifth Report on implementation of the Agenda for Action [DOC] [B]
COUNTRY UPDATES – Report
by Special Rapporteur [DOC] [56] Awareness about sexual
exploitation is increasing. In May 2002, King Mohammed VI requested the
Children’s Parliament to pay particular attention to the question of child
victims of violence, and a committee of experts has now been appointed to
develop a national program against the maltreatment and exploitation of
children. A recent revision of article 446 of the Penal Code
provides that certain professionals, notably doctors, must report suspicions
of violations having been committed against children. Other
developments include the creation by the Ministry of Human Rights of a
network of centers to provide judicial and psychological assistance to children
in difficult circumstances and child victims of violence. However,
sex outside marriage is illegal and those over 12 are criminally liable;
accordingly, children in prostitution between 12 and 18 would bear criminal
responsibility. Special Rapporteur On The Sale Of Children, Child Prostitution, Child Pornography - 2000 Concerning the prostitution of
boys, the report notes that: the primary reason for boys entering
prostitution has to do with their being sent by their families, or choosing
for themselves, to leave their homes to seek employment. On the prostitution of girls, the report
notes that unlike boys, it is not culturally acceptable for girls to live on
the street. Many of the girls who work
in the brothels in El Hajeb are former child
maids. With regard to child sex
tourism, the SR noted that child sex abuse is largely carried out by
Moroccans and that there have been few reported cases where children have
been used in prostitution for foreigners. The authorities acknowledged,
however, that this type of abuse is very hidden and that such cases would
rarely come to their attention. ECPAT:
It is difficult to obtain information on the nature and extent It is difficult to obtain
information on the nature and extent of CSEC in ECPAT:
Looking Back, Thinking Forward [PDF] Child sex tourism is most apparent
in ECPAT
International North Africa Regional Consultation on the Elimination of CSEC A
Situational Analysis of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children in [2.1.1] Prevalence - Official statistics provided by
police and judiciary services do not reflect the entire situation because
these statistics are based on what cases actually reach police and judiciary
personnel. For example, according to police and judiciary services: • 1999: 102 cases (17 rapes, 63 attacks on decency,
19 cases of prostitution, 3 other) • 2000: 69 cases (9 rapes, 36 attacks on decency, 14
cases of prostitution, 2 other) • 2001: 210 cases • 2002: 38
cases of adults charged with procuring or incitement of minors to
prostitution. Child
prostitution and the spread of AIDS In Morocco, child prostitution is
a large and growing problem and the government is being forced to address the
situation. Although legislation is in place to punish people convicted of
sexual abuse of children, the rate of prostitution is still high. Joint
research studies by the government and the UN have revealed that up to 48% of
street children have been sexually abused, often in return for lodging and
food. In a study conducted in 1995 by the Moroccan AIDS Service Organization,
it was found that most prostitutes were not aware of the risks of AIDS and
did not know how to negotiate safer sex with clients. It also indicated that
many prostitutes had precarious living conditions due to economic dependence
and had many sexual partners. Visitors and tourists play a significant part
in this trade. Tourism continues to provide clients for child prostitutes,
many of whom are uneducated about AIDS. Commercial
sexual exploitation of children - Middle East/North Africa region These countries also have in
common, however, a number of constraints that have hindered preparation of
national plans of action. In all the countries of the region, there is
cultural resistance to addressing the problem because the subject is largely
taboo. Often the issue is dealt with
more generally under headings such as ‘violence’ and ‘trauma’. This means that there has been no regional
consensus on defining CSEC in law; in some countries, for example, it is
looked upon as an indecent act, in others as rape, although in all 20
countries there is some section of the penal code that can be invoked against
sexual abuse and exploitation. All material used herein
reproduced under the fair use exception of 17 USC §
107 for noncommercial, nonprofit, and educational use |
Human Trafficking in [Morocco] [other countries]Street Children in [Morocco] [other countries]Child Prostitution in [Morocco