Activists in Morocco are calling for reform after the suicide of sixteen-year-old Amina Filali last week. Filali swallowed rat poison after a forced marriage to the man who raped her. Filali lived in Larache, a small northern town near Tangiers.

In Morocco rape carries the stigma of dishonor for the victim and her family. According to the BBC’s Nora Fakim, “in conservative parts of Morocco, it is unacceptable for a woman to lose her virginity before marriage – and the dishonor is hers and her family’s even if she is raped.” This means that many times the judges and police disbelieve the victims and suspect them of giving consent. The burden of proof is on the victim and she is given little assistance. The families also worry about the victim’s future prospects for marrying when it is know she has been raped.

In more recent years, Moroccan women have been enjoying more freedoms. A family law was reformed in 2004. The reform allowed woman to seek divorce and raised the minimum marriage age to 18. However, judges are allowed to use their discretion and grant permission for minors to marry. This was how Filali came to be married at the age of 16.

There is a loophole in Moroccan law involving article 475 allowing rapists to marry their victims and escape justice. Fouzia Assouli, the President of the Democratic League for Women’s Rights, told the BBC that “In Morocco, the law protects public morality but not the individual.”

By law, all parties must agree on the marriage in order for the judge to grant it. Many activists say pressure is applied to the victim’s family in order to avoid scandal. Filali’s father has told reporters that it was the court official who suggested his daughter marry her attacker. Lahcen Filali told an online newspaper that the prosecutor said, “Go and make the marriage contract.” Her sister told a Spanish network, “it was to protect her, so that people would not speak ill of her.”

The father also said that Filali’s rapist initially refused the marriage. He only consented when threatened with prosecution for the rape. A prison sentence for rape is up to ten years but is extended to 20 when a minor is involved. Filali also complained to her mother about the repeated beatings. Some sources say her mother counseled her to have patience and others say the family disowned her.

Witnesses report that Filali’s husband was so angry after she swallowed the poison that he dragged her down the street by her hair.  She died not long after. 

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About the author

Amanda Brandt
Amanda Brandt is a recent graduate of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a B.S. in English Creative Writing with a Professional Writing minor.