Knife attack on young students sparks demand for reinforced security in the vicinity of schools

A recent assault with a white arm on a group of young students in Settat sparked widespread anger among civil and human rights activists, who are demanding the strengthening of security measures in the area, for the benefit of students and educational frameworks in schools.

The young students were assaulted while on their way to school in the Hawza roundabout, prompting public demands for the presence of security authorities, in both urban or rural areas, to carry out patrols next to educational institutions.

The small group of elementary school students was heading to school when a delinquent ransacked them with a cold weapon, injuring four of them, aged between 10 and 13, and their two companions, aged 20 and 60.

Activists are also pointing to the growing phenomenon of drug sales and harassment of female students in the roundabouts of schools in the area.

Soraya Harsh, coordinator of the “Coalition 190 for a Work Free from Violence and Harassment,” confirmed to Hespress AR that “these attacks have become more frequent, and are now infringing the sanctity of educational institutions.” 

Lahrash explained that her NGO “has previously warned of the seriousness of the situation around educational establishments, especially since female students are regular victims of groups trying to take advantage of some of them, by using their vulnerabilities against them”

The coordinator of the aforementioned coalition pointed to “the need for security interests and authorities to be present next to schools, and to work to help protect the sanctity of educational institutions from violence and other practises, from harassment and drug promotion and others.”

The former parliamentary advisor says she wishes to see local authorities “monitor drug dealers and traffickers of hallucinogenic pills, and to break the wall of silence by exposing and condemning this situation.”

Mahdi Limina, project coordinator at the Challenge Association for Equality and Citizenship, stressed the “necessity of strengthening security in the areas of educational institutions, given the harassment of many schoolgirls by delinquents.”

The same spokesman pointed out, in his statement to Hespress AR that “the absence of security supervision in many educational institutions makes some teenagers, some motorcyclists, and even some car drivers, target schoolgirls and harass them, posing a threat to their safety.”