Fès charity home investigated over alleged trafficking and exploitation of minors

16:35

Authorities in Fès have opened a major investigation into allegations of human trafficking and the exploitation of minors at a charitable residential facility, with 12 people placed in police custody and six others facing prosecution while remaining free.

The investigation centers on the El Wafaa Complex, a social care institution in the Narjiss district that houses children and young people. According to Moroccan media reports, the case has raised serious questions about the treatment of vulnerable minors who were supposed to receive protection and social support within the facility.

The investigation is being conducted by the regional judicial police in Fès under the supervision of the public prosecutor at the city's Court of Appeal.

Former managers among those detained

The 12 people placed in custody reportedly include two former directors of the institution, a general supervisor, a financial officer, a representative of the association overseeing the facility, two social workers, two supervisors and a security guard.

Six additional suspects are being prosecuted while remaining provisionally at liberty. They reportedly include a former director, a former head of the association managing the facility, an official from the National Solidarity sector, a supervisor, a social worker and a seamstress.

The suspects are being questioned as investigators examine allegations involving abuse of authority, human trafficking and the exploitation of minors in criminal activities.

Allegations of sexual and criminal exploitation

The investigation concerns claims that some residents were subjected to sexual exploitation and pressured into committing theft, including incidents allegedly involving violence or weapons.

Investigators are also examining allegations that explicit videos involving some of the young residents were circulated on social media. Moroccan media reports cited in the investigation said that some of this material had allegedly been disseminated from Turkey.

The allegations are particularly serious because the institution was intended to provide protection and social reintegration for children in vulnerable circumstances.

Authorities have not publicly established the criminal responsibility of the individuals under investigation. The accusations remain subject to the judicial process and any eventual court findings.

How the case came to light

The affair reportedly came to public attention after residents living near the facility alerted authorities to incidents involving some of the young residents inside the institution.

The police intervention subsequently led investigators to examine the circumstances surrounding several minors who had reportedly been left without accommodation after parts of the establishment were closed.

The facility had already experienced difficulties, including financial problems, according to the press reports describing the case.

Investigators are now seeking to establish how the alleged abuses could have occurred within an institution responsible for protecting minors and whether failures in supervision or management contributed to the situation.

A wider investigation into the institution

The inquiry places the management of the El Wafaa Complex under particular scrutiny. Investigators are expected to examine the responsibilities of current and former officials, employees and people associated with the organization supervising the facility.

The case also raises broader questions about safeguards for minors living in residential care and the mechanisms used to monitor institutions responsible for vulnerable children.

For now, the investigation remains ongoing. The 18 people implicated in the case occupy different procedural positions, ranging from police custody to prosecution while free, and their legal status does not constitute a finding of guilt.

The next stages of the judicial process are expected to clarify the circumstances surrounding the allegations and determine whether further charges or measures will follow.