Moroccan judge holds first hearing in case of captive girl

The courthouse of Beni Mellal, Morocco is pictured, Thursday, Sept. 6, 2018. (AP)

• A 17-year-old Moroccan girl was allegedly held captive, forcibly tattooed, tortured and gang-raped
• The case sparked a public outcry in a nation where violence against women is widespread but largely ignored

BENI MELLAL: Family members of a dozen young men suspected in the gang-rape, forcible tattooing and torture of a 17-year-old Moroccan girl allegedly held captive for two months have made a raucous noise outside the courtroom where an investigative judge held his first hearing in the case.
The girl, identified only as Khadija and dressed in black, with black gloves covering hand tattoos, sat quietly before being summoned on Thursday into the first hearing in the case, behind closed doors.
Twelve suspects were detained after Khadija was freed in mid-August. The case sparked a public outcry in a nation where violence against women is widespread but largely ignored.
About 20 family members of the suspects, some holding pictures of King Mohammed VI, harassed Khadija’s lawyer. The sister of one suspect collapsed outside the courthouse.