New ‘sex for good marks’ allegations cause uproar in Morocco

Allegations of a teacher trading good grades for sexual favours at a Moroccan institution have prompted calls for other victims to break their silence after a similar case caused outrage.

An instructor at a business school in the city of Oujda allegedly demanded sexual favours from a female student in exchange for favourable marks, local media reported.

An official from the education ministry told AFP on Friday that the teacher had been suspended pending his appearance before a disciplinary board.

The ministry has launched an investigation into similar accusations at the same institution and ordered its director to resign.

The case has sparked uproar on social media, where a coalition known as the “Outlaws” movement has launched a #MeToo-like campaign to gather testimonies from other victims.

Earlier this month, four lecturers at a university near Casablanca appeared before the court in a similar case, while a fifth was facing separate charges of indecent assault and battery.

A string of high-profile sexual harassment scandals have shaken Moroccan universities in recent years, but most have failed to result in trials, let alone convictions.

Rights groups say sexual violence is widespread in Morocco but that women are reluctant to report it for fear of reprisals or harm to their family reputation.

In 2018, after years of heated debate, Morocco changed its legislation so that perpetrators of “harassment, aggression, sexual exploitation or ill-treatment” could face prison terms, but some argue that the law still fails to protect women.