Viral Reactions, Legal Consequences: A case study of the 2024 Tangier sexual assault

Imane Alqaraoui; Fatima-Zohra Iflahen

doi:10.21834/e-bpj.v11i37.7958

Authors

Imane Alqaraoui Doctoral Student, Cadi Ayyad University, UCA, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Languages and Humanities Laboratory, Avenue Abdelkrim Khattabi, Marrakech, Morocco
Fatima-Zohra Iflahen Full Professor, Cadi Ayyad University, UCA, Faculty of Letters and Human Sciences, Languages and Humanities Laboratory, Avenue Abdelkrim Khattabi, Marrakech, Morocco https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5653-0148

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21834/e-bpj.v11i37.7958

Keywords:

Digital Activism, Public Discourse, Sexual Harassment, Morocco

Abstract

This study explores how digital activism shaped public discourse around the 2024 Tangier sexual assault case, involving a young woman assaulted by minors, and whether it translated into meaningful legal change. Guided by feminist theory, the research employs thematic analysis of highly viewed TikTok videos to identify recurring themes, assess legal outcomes, and determine the benefits and limits of digital activism. Findings show that cyberactivism increases visibility, mobilizes youth, and counters victim-blaming, but struggles to shift norms, fuels divisions, and shows constraints in producing lasting structural change.

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