Outrage in Morocco After Video Shows Young Boy Forced to Drink Alcohol

Tantan – A viral video showing a young boy being pushed by adults to drink alcohol has sparked outrage across Morocco, prompting calls for an urgent investigation from child rights groups and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH). 

The footage shows an adult man drinking and appearing intoxicated while telling the child, who was holding a bottle of alcohol, to keep drinking. A third person, believed to also be an adult, was filming the scene. The boy, who is estimated to be around six or seven years old, follows the adult’s instructions in the video and drinks multiple times.

Many social media users reacted with anger and shock after seeing the clip, saying the child was being exposed to dangerous and humiliating behavior. The incident also drew strong condemnation from child protection and human rights organizations.

The association Matqissch Weldi, “Don’t Touch My Child” in Arabic, said it was deeply concerned and disgusted by what it described as a shocking scene. The group said the video directly harmed the child’s physical, psychological, and health safety, and amounted to a serious violation of children’s rights.

The organization said there was no excuse for what was shown in the clip, whether it was intended as a joke or for entertainment. It described the incident as a “complete crime” and warned that it could have long-term psychological and physical effects on the child.

Matqissch Weldi also said the video reflected a dangerous lack of awareness and responsibility from the people involved, and condemned the exploitation of a child’s innocence in such a harmful setting. It urged the Public Prosecutor’s Office and security services, including cybercrime units, to open a full investigation, identify the people in the video, and determine the circumstances in which it was filmed.

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The group also called for the suspects to be arrested and prosecuted under Moroccan criminal law, as well as under international conventions protecting children’s rights that Morocco has ratified. It warned against treating such behavior lightly, especially when it is turned into online content and shared on social media.

The National Human Rights Council (CNDH) also reacted to the video. CNDH President Amina Bouayach said the child appeared in a situation that harmed his dignity and psychological well-being, while being encouraged by adults to consume alcohol. She said filming and sharing the video, along with the wide spread of the footage on social media, could deepen the harm done to the child.

Bouayach expressed concern that some pages and content creators continued to repost the video, even when doing so in the name of criticism or condemnation, without properly protecting the child’s identity. The child’s face should be hidden and any details that could reveal who he is should be removed, the CNDH chief lamented.

She called for an immediate stop to the circulation of the video in its current form and urged prosecutors to act quickly to protect the child and take the necessary legal steps. The best interests of the child must come first in all judicial, media, and digital handling of the case, Bouayach stressed.

Both organizations urged the public not to share the footage further and instead to report those involved to the authorities.