HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Zriouh
The case of the detention of a minor student in the city of Zaiou, in the Nador region, who is no more than 13 years old, is at the forefront of local and national public debate, following her placement in a child protection center against the backdrop of a dispute with her teacher at the "Sabra" secondary school.
The incident, which began with an accusation of physical assault, quickly evolved into a public opinion case, placing the educational institution and the judiciary before the challenge of balancing law enforcement and preserving the dignity of the educator, and taking into account the best interest of the child and her psychological and social situation. On the ground, readings of the incident varied; While the trade union and educational frameworks recorded a protest stand condemning the increasing phenomenon of violence against teachers, demanding a safe working environment, the student's family and human rights activists presented a narrative that indicates the child's suffering from psychological crises and special social circumstances. This contradiction in the narratives led to a deepening of the gap, especially after the Public Prosecution’s decision to pursue the student in custody, despite the waiver that benefited the other party in the case, which raised questions about the usefulness of the punitive approach in dealing with a young girl. In terms of procedure, the defense team continues its legal efforts to ensure fair trial conditions that take into account the specifics of the "event", as it succeeded in transferring the student from the child protection center in Fez to the Nador center to ensure her proximity to her family. In parallel with this, the city is witnessing active movements by local actors and educational mediators to contain the crisis amicably, by attempting to bring the views of the teacher and the family closer, seeking a settlement that ends the judicial follow-up and spares the student a path that could eliminate her academic future before it begins. Experts in education and psychology stressed the need to draw lessons from the "Zaiou incident", by activating school mediation before institutions resort to the judiciary. They confirmed that addressing school violence requires a comprehensive approach that integrates the psychological and social dimensions, considering that reform and guidance remain the ultimate goal of the educational process, and that throwing minors into the vortex of the judiciary, whatever the justifications, remains an exceptional solution that must be avoided by all available educational means.
