Matqich Weldi has called for immediate protection for children who may have been exploited at a welfare institution in Fes, where 12 people have been placed in police custody in a case involving suspected human trafficking and abuse of vulnerable minors.
The suspects are being investigated over alleged human trafficking, abuse of influence and the recruitment of abandoned minors for acts linked to prostitution and theft under threat inside the institution.
In a statement issued as the investigation continues, Matqich Weldi called for psychological, social and legal support for the children and other potential victims, and said they should be protected from pressure or intimidation.
It also called on investigators to pursue anyone else whose involvement may emerge, irrespective of their position.
The organization said the allegations were particularly troubling because they concerned children placed in an institution where they were supposed to receive care and protection. It stressed, however, that the suspects remained entitled to the presumption of innocence and that the facts had yet to be established by the investigation and the courts.
If the allegations are established, it said, responsibility should be fixed on everyone found to have been involved.
Matqich Weldi also called for tighter inspections of social welfare institutions caring for vulnerable children, arguing that children without family support required greater safeguards.
It said the Fes case, if established in court, would raise questions about the safeguards in place for children living in welfare institutions and called for the circumstances surrounding the case to be fully investigated.
