Report exposes child-sex tourism in Marrakech

After a Spanish TV network showed a report on the sexual exploitation of children and child-sex tourism in Marrakech, Moroccan children's advocacy group Touche pas à mon enfant [Hands off my Child] has called on the Minister of Justice and Freedoms Mustafa Ramid to "intervene immediately." The NGO, run by activist Najat Anwar, demanded that an investigation is launched to expose and prosecute those implicated in the practice. In a letter sent to the head of the Marrakech Court of Appeals, the foundation denounced statements made in the report by a number of foreign tourists, whom the NGO said "reflect the view that some have of Morocco and its children." A Dutch TV network had recently broadcast a report on sex-tourism in Marrakech, conducted by Spanish journalists using hidden cameras. According to the report, thousands of tourists visit the city for "cheap sex with minors." The report also shows children [whose faces were obscured] speaking to the reporters who claimed to be tourists seeking sexual activity with children. The report makes the claim that world-famous tourist attraction Jemaa el-Fnaa marketplace has become a major centre for sex tourism.