Yet another dreadful rape case has emerged in Morocco, and this time, the victim was allegedly abducted, gang-raped, and tortured for two around months.
Identified as Khadija, the 17-year-old victim told local media she was repeatedly raped by over 12 men and her body was forcibly tattooed.
Police have since arrested several men in relation to the crime, with families of the suspects firmly denying Khadija's allegations.
According to the teenager, who spoke with Chouf television network, a group of men kidnapped her from her aunt's house in June.
Khadija said her captors denied her food and drink, tortured her when she attempted to escape and raped her over and over again.
She also revealed multiple scars, cigarette burns, and tattoos across her body, saying they were caused by her captors.
"They held me for about two months, and raped and tortured me… I will never forgive them. They have destroyed me," she said, according to The Independent.
Khadija was held captive for around two months, after which her father allegedly struck a deal with her captors and agreed not to report the incident to the police in exchange for his daughter's return.
Police have reportedly identified 12 suspects in connection with the accusations, with the first hearing set to take place on September 6, The Independent reported.
In response, some of the suspects' parents have defended their sons and refuted Khadija's accusations. The mother of two suspects claimed Khadija was a sex worker, saying, "She wanted this, she was always knocking on my door asking if my son was home".
The father of another suspect claimed Khadija has had tattoos for a long time and questioned why her father did not contact authorities when she first disappeared.
"We have authorities in our region, he should have filed a complaint. I can't understand why he kept silent while his daughter was missing for two months," he added, according to Morocco World News.
Not the first incident of its kind in the country
The country has witnessed a string of alarming sexual assault cases during the past year. The cases include gang-rape, rape in public places, as well as the assault of minors and people with special needs.
Citing an annual report issued by the Moroccan King's Attorney General Mohamed Abdel Nabawi, Morocco World News revealed that the rate of reported rapes increased from a prior average of 800 cases to 1,600 cases in 2017.
For instance, back in 2016, a 16-year-old Moroccan teenager committed suicide after being abducted and gang-raped by eight men. An autopsy of her body revealed she was pregnant at the time.