Thousands of Moroccans sign petition urging authorities to provide teen with immediate medical and psychological care
The case of a 17-year-old girl who was allegedly abducted, gang-raped and forcibly tattooed by a gang of 13 men has sparked outrage across Morocco, with thousands of people signing a petition on her behalf.
In a video interview with local TV channel ChoufTV last week Khadija Okkarou recounted her nightmare, describing how the men kidnapped her, raped her and held her captive in a house, where she was handed over to other men for sex in return for money.
The girl said she was held captive for two months, and left with burn marks and painful tattoos across her body.
“They held me for about two months, and raped and tortured me... I will never forgive them. They have destroyed me,” Okkarou said in the interview, showing what appeared to be scars from cigarette burns and tattoos carved into parts of her body.
Images show markings on her arms, neck, legs and back, including a swastika.
The news has sent shockwaves across Morocco, sparking a number of hashtags online in support of Okkarou. “We are all Khadija” and “Justice for Khadija” both attracted messages of support in Arabic on Sunday and Monday.
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