Spousal abuse in the Criminal Code of Morocco

Abstract

The new Moroccan Constitution of 2011 establishes the equality between men and women. Likewise, the Kingdom of Morocco has ratified the Convention on the elimination of all forms of discrimination against women and has removed the reservations it had at first. Following the reform of the Criminal Code by Law 24/03, husbands have been added as perpetrators and victims of physical abuse during marriage, leading to aggravated offenses depending upon the consequences of such abuse. This has in fact led to a strengthening of the protection of women against physical abuse in the conjugal scope because they are victims in most of the cases. This paper presents the typology of spousal violence and its legal consequences.