In Morocco, the royal gendarmerie dismantled a clandestine psychiatric clinic located in the Marrakech region, where 19 people were being held in appalling conditions. These individuals, suffering from mental illnesses or addictions, had been sent by their families under the guise of receiving care, but found themselves sequestered on an isolated farm, without any medical care or therapeutic follow-up.
The case highlights a dark phenomenon of human trafficking and neglect of psychiatric care. The victims, sometimes detained for more than two years, were kept without any care adapted to their condition. According to initial reports, these people were sent by their families, believing that they would receive treatment at a medical facility. But instead, they were locked up in inhumane conditions, without access to medical or psychological monitoring.
19 people transferred to a hospital
The intervention of the authorities allowed the release of the 19 people, who were immediately transferred to a psychiatric hospital to receive the necessary care. This dismantling sparked a strong reaction from civil society, which is now demanding that all light be shed on this matter. Abdelaziz Jbilou, vice-president of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights (AMDH) for the Marrakech region, expressed his indignation.
“It is painful to see the inhumane conditions in which the sequestered people lived,” he said. According to him, this case could reflect an organized human trafficking network, fueled by criminal practices involving individuals with multiple responsibilities. AMDH quickly highlighted the possibility of an organized human trafficking network, with families deceived by promises of care for their loved ones. According to Jbilou, “we are sure that there is a group specialized in this traffic.”
Criminal network suspected behind these abuses
Investigators arrested six suspects, including the farm owner, his son and a nurse who allegedly played a key role in acting as an intermediary between the families and the center. The latter, according to the authorities, would have allowed the transfer of people to this illegal clinic, reinforcing suspicions of criminal practices. Moroccan authorities have opened an investigation into human trafficking, torture and forced labor.
The scale of this case raises questions about the control and regulation mechanisms of institutions responsible for mental health, but also about the existence of other similar establishments, which could make the case even more complex. AMDH therefore asked the authorities to continue the investigation to identify possible similar structures and ensure that other victims are not yet kidnapped in comparable conditions.
Dark precedent in Bouya Omar
The El Kelaâ des Sraghnas affair is not the first of this type to shake the country. Indeed, a decade ago, another infamous case broke out in the Marrakech region, in Bouya Omar. This site was a sanctuary where people with mental illnesses were also held captive, in equally horrific conditions, before being dismantled by the authorities.
This case caused a wave of indignation in Morocco and around the world, due to the inhumanity of detention conditions and the lack of assistance for these vulnerable people. Unfortunately, the repetition of such cases shows that persistent flaws exist in the system of care for the mentally ill in Morocco.
Mental health management in Morocco
Morocco has an insufficient number of adapted and well-regulated care establishments to treat the mentally ill. Additionally, issues of stigma and lack of resources for these patients further complicate the situation. The victims of the illegal clinic in Marrakech are only part of the reality of suffering people who do not always have access to adequate care.
