The association “Challenge for Equality and Citizenship” revealed that around 87% of women victims of digital violence expressed their desire to commit suicide, while one of them actually committed suicide.
The association stressed during the launch of its new campaign under the name of “Digital Violence Stabbing” that this type of violence is considered to be one of the most dangerous types of violence that women are ever exposed to.
Digital violence or cyberviolence is a type of violence that can take the form of invasion of people’s privacy, defamation, sexting, identity theft or theft of data for the purpose of extortion.
Exacerbation of digital violence
Women’s rights activists warn of the danger of digital violence, the number of victims of which is increasing with the spread of modern information technologies and the use of social media platforms.
Bushra Abdo, president of the association Challenge for Equality and Citizenship, considers that digital violence is a serious scourge that affects the psychological, social and economic well-being of its victims who suffer in silence, for fear of defamation. through social networks.
The activist added, in a statement to ‘Sky News Arabia’, that this type of violence, which escalates rapidly, has serious repercussions on its female victims, causing them to experience psychological crises that may lead them to think about suicide. .
The citizen activist continues that the association she leads continues to sound the alarm on digital violence, and works to contribute alongside the authorities concerned to reduce this scourge which affects more than 1.5 million of women in Morocco, according to official figures.
Abdo considers that “revenge on the victim is one of the motives of this type of violence, especially when the author considers the digital space as an easy means of defamation and extortion, ignoring the legal sanctions resulting from this act “.
The spokesperson explains that the association, through the “Stop digital violence” campaign, provides victims with an electronic application to report violence and a reception center for women and girls to provide them with support. psychological and legal support, in addition to working on the exchange of expertise and experiences with civil society in different cities of the Kingdom in order to raise awareness of the seriousness of this violence.
Penalties
Law 103.13 on the fight against violence against women criminalizes online violence, the penalty for this act ranging from 6 months to 5 years in prison, in addition to a fine.
Chapter 1-447 of Law 103.13 punishes with a prison sentence of 6 months to three years in prison, any person who, voluntarily, by any means whatsoever, including information activities, captures, records , disseminates or distributes statements or information issued in a private or secret capacity or an image while it is in a private place, without the consent of its owner.
While Chapter 2-447 provides for a term of imprisonment of one to three years for anyone who, by any means, including information systems, disseminates or distributes a composition consisting of the words of a person or its likeness, without its consent or without indicating that such composition is fabricated and false, or Disseminates or distributes false claims or false facts, with the intent to harm or defame the privacy of persons.
Human rights activist and lawyer Zahia Amoumou recalls that the law on violence against women, in its chapter 447-3, increases the prison sentence to 5 years, if the previous acts have been repeated or committed by the one of the branches, ancestors, or a person such as a husband, divorced or engaged.
Amomo says in a statement to ‘Sky News Arabia’ that the law increases the sentence in case the victim is related to the accused, such as the husband, who can use his ex-wife’s photos to pressure her to that she give up her rights during the divorce.
sensitization
Zahia Amomo confirms that electronic violence is considered one of the most dangerous forms of violence due to its severe psychological, social and economic effects that can lead to underwriting or thinking and suicide.
The spokesperson calls for the dissemination and publicity of the law that punishes these acts, highlighting the positive interaction of justice with a number of digital violence files, whose owners have been sentenced to prison terms of 3 years.
The lawyer insists on the need to make victims aware of the importance of reporting digital violence, and to preserve the means of evidence by seeking the help of a judicial commissioner to extract them and follow the accused before the courts.
Cyberviolence in numbers
The Haut-Commissariat au Plan (the country’s statistical authority) had revealed that 1.5 million Moroccan women were victims of digital violence, whether through phone calls, text messages or emails.
According to the figures announced by the delegate in a memorandum published last March on the occasion of International Women’s Day:
- Digital violence constitutes 19% of all forms of violence in Morocco. – The percentage of digital violence increases by 16% among urban women. – The risk of exposure to this type of violence increases by 36% among female students and students.- About 73% of cases of violence are committed by an unknown man.
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