Abandoned children, especially those born out of wedlock, are gaining attention in Morocco as a social phenomenon, angering human rights activists and drawing the attention of the government. In that sense, the minister of justice Abdellatif Ouahbi this week announced a new measure planned by his ministry to force a child’s biological parents to bear civil liability.
Abdullatif Wahbi believes that the abandoned child was “the result of two people’s mistakes”. The child is a full citizen who needs to be cared for, he told a conference organized by the Lafquih Titouani Foundation.
“If DNA proves that an extramarital affair between a man and a woman resulted in a pregnancy and then a child, the parents of the child must take care of the child until the age of 21,” the minister said.
“If the mother has custody, the father must pay the allowance until the child turns 21,” Ouahbi declared.
This new measure will be incorporated into the Penal Code and will ensure that the phenomenon is curbed and, most importantly, empowered parents. one night stand has to pay for 21 years. It’s better than leaving the kids on the street, Ouahbi highlighted.
About 3,000 children are born out of wedlock every year, leading to a steady rise in dropout rates, according to leading human rights, women and children, the NGO noted an undeniable increase in the number of single mothers, who often decide to abandon their children. Results of the race: about 70 abandoned children every day. according to data collected by insaf
The Association notes in this regard that the situation of these single mothers embodies a set of interconnected and compounded violations, whether at the legal, social, psychological or economic level.
The issue of sex life outside marriage is difficult to debate especially in a religious context since it is a violation of all societal norms in Islam, and sex outside marriage remains a serious religious sin, Insaf stresses.
The issue constituted a “gross attack on public morals” and often led to society’s discrimination or marginalization of single mothers, campaigners said, adding it was a “tragic event”. It affects all women of all social classes.
For «Insaf», the situation of single mothers in Morocco is characterized by «social vulnerability and emotional deprivation» and has proven to be an indicator of human rights gaps and violations of their rights in legislation relevant to this group«.
As for the size of the law, Moroccan law and the Family Code do not match the reality and experience of single mothers in Morocco. The NGO noted that it has repeatedly found contradictions at this level, as the text does not recognize this category of women and does not provide them or their children with the necessary protection.
In addition, «Insaf» reiterated its involvement “in the royal process that aspires to review and improve the status of women”, as many laws “no longer respect the human rights of women in general, and single mothers and their children in particular.