In Morocco, the unprecedented situation of confinement could have repercussions on the safety of women, potential victims of domestic violence, and their children, living in isolation with their aggressor.

The Alternative Movement for Individual Liberties M.A.L.I. warns about the domestic violence women will be victims of: gender-based violence (mental burden, patriarchal injunctions: all these daily tasks related to the management of the households), psychological, verbal, physical and sexual violence. Confinement increases the risk of acting out.

M.A.L.I. calls on civil society to network in order to support women victims of violence during this pandemic: strengthening existing mechanisms, setting up a continuity plan for associations with the maintenance of their services, teleworking for people helping women victims.

As epidemics affect women and men differently, it is a fundamental step for public health policies to manage the effects of emergencies. M.A.L.I. calls on the government to put in place as soon as possible an emergency plan against male violence during containment.

M.A.L.I. recalled that Act No. 103-13 on combating violence against women required victims to initiate criminal proceedings to obtain protection; the Act did not assign duties to the police, prosecutors and investigating judges in cases of domestic violence. The law also fails to provide a definition of domestic violence and does not consider as crime the rape of a woman by her husband, rape within the marriage is not recognized as such in the Moroccan Penal Code and the risk of its increase in periods of confinement raises serious concern.

Although children are not always direct victims, they are often collateral victims, and the spectacle of violence is inflicted on them. M.A.L.I. refers the public authorities to their responsibility and calls on the Minister for Solidarity, Social Development, Equality and the Family to take account of the "additional danger" that confinement represents for women and child victims.

Confined with their aggressor, women victims of violence see their safety endangered. How to respond to the distress caused by confinement?

Solutions exist:

• Since money is the sinews of war: a budget allocated by the Special Coronavirus Management Fund to fight against domestic violence.
• Implementation by the government of exceptional measures to address the shortcomings of Law 103-13 of 2018 on the fight against violence against women.
• Directives to the police so that no complaint is overlooked or refused.

           The preferred number should be that of the police on 19.

As a reminder, the DGSN (General Directorate of National Security), in the framework of Law 103-13, has adopted a measure to take care of girls and women victims of violence.