#JusticeForGhita : Outrage in Morocco after four-year-old girl struck by SUV on beach
What began as an ordinary holiday turned into a nightmare for a Moroccan family living in Italy. Hoping for a peaceful afternoon, they chose the beach of Sidi Rahal as their destination, never imagining it would become the scene of a tragedy they would never forget.
On Sunday, June 15, around 3:30 p.m., four-and-a-half-year-old Ghita was playing in a small hole her father had dug for her in the sand. Laughing alongside her cousin, who was filling the hole with water, she lay there content while her father briefly stepped away to take a sip of water. In the blink of an eye, the joyful moment shattered.
An SUV driving at high speed along the beach, towing a jet ski, ran directly over the little girl's head. Her father, Abdellah, still visibly shaken, recounted the horror: «I was playing with her in the sand. I dug a little hole for her. I turned around just to drink some water, and then I heard a loud crash and screaming… I saw the wheels of the car and the jet ski pass over my daughter's head. I couldn't even move—my legs gave out. There was blood everywhere. Her jaw was displaced, her skull was open. I didn't think—I got into the same car that hit her and begged the driver to take us to the hospital. I was only thinking about saving her».
Critical condition
Ghita was rushed to the Dar Al Salam Clinic in Casablanca, where she underwent emergency surgery on her skull. The impact had torn the membrane protecting her brain, and she also required stitches near her eye. Her condition remains critical, her family says.
«I haven't been able to enter our home for a week», her father said. «She used to be the one who opened the door for me when I came home. I can't bring myself to walk through it. We're completely devastated. All I want is to have my daughter back and justice».
«She was lying in the hole, playing with her cousin. The moment he left to get water and her father stepped away, the car struck. They had to stitch her eye. Her condition is serious», her mother, visibly exhausted and heartbroken, added.
«The scene still plays in my mind. The car was going so fast. The jet ski it was towing hit her too. The doctor told us: 'We had to piece her skull together like a puzzle'», her aunt, also traumatized, said.
Widespread outrage
The driver, a 22-year-old man, was brought before the courts. However, comments made by his family and lawyer provoked public outrage after they blamed the father, accusing him of neglect for letting his daughter play alone in the sand.
«That hurt more than anything», said Abdellah. «My daughter is between life and death. My wife is destroyed. We have a one-year-old baby we haven't even seen in days because we've been at the hospital non-stop. We're homeless right now».
What further angered the family was what they described as pressure and intimidation attempts by the accused's relatives. «They came to the hospital and told us they have money, that we wouldn't be able to do anything as if they were saying, 'Let your daughter die, we'll buy our son's innocence'», Abdellah said.
The case has sparked national outrage on social media, with thousands rallying around hashtags like #JusticeForGhita and #WeAreAllGhita, demanding stricter laws to ban vehicles from beaches and to criminalize such reckless acts.
As the family clings to hope for Ghaitha's recovery, they remain in a state of shock, repeating one heartfelt plea: «We just want justice. And we just want our daughter back».
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#JusticeForGhita : Outrage in Morocco after four-year-old girl struck by SUV on beach
What began as an ordinary holiday turned into a nightmare for a Moroccan family living in Italy. Hoping for a peaceful afternoon, they chose the beach of Sidi Rahal as their destination, never imagining it would become the scene of a tragedy they would never forget. On Sunday, June 15, around 3:30 p.m., four-and-a-half-year-old Ghita was playing in a small hole her father had dug for her in the sand. Laughing alongside her cousin, who was filling the hole with water, she lay there content while her father briefly stepped away to take a sip of water. In the blink of an eye, the joyful moment shattered. An SUV driving at high speed along the beach, towing a jet ski, ran directly over the little girl's head. Her father, Abdellah, still visibly shaken, recounted the horror: «I was playing with her in the sand. I dug a little hole for her. I turned around just to drink some water, and then I heard a loud crash and screaming… I saw the wheels of the car and the jet ski pass over my daughter's head. I couldn't even move—my legs gave out. There was blood everywhere. Her jaw was displaced, her skull was open. I didn't think—I got into the same car that hit her and begged the driver to take us to the hospital. I was only thinking about saving her». Critical condition Ghita was rushed to the Dar Al Salam Clinic in Casablanca, where she underwent emergency surgery on her skull. The impact had torn the membrane protecting her brain, and she also required stitches near her eye. Her condition remains critical, her family says. «I haven't been able to enter our home for a week», her father said. «She used to be the one who opened the door for me when I came home. I can't bring myself to walk through it. We're completely devastated. All I want is to have my daughter back and justice». «She was lying in the hole, playing with her cousin. The moment he left to get water and her father stepped away, the car struck. They had to stitch her eye. Her condition is serious», her mother, visibly exhausted and heartbroken, added. «The scene still plays in my mind. The car was going so fast. The jet ski it was towing hit her too. The doctor told us: 'We had to piece her skull together like a puzzle'», her aunt, also traumatized, said. Widespread outrage The driver, a 22-year-old man, was brought before the courts. However, comments made by his family and lawyer provoked public outrage after they blamed the father, accusing him of neglect for letting his daughter play alone in the sand. «That hurt more than anything», said Abdellah. «My daughter is between life and death. My wife is destroyed. We have a one-year-old baby we haven't even seen in days because we've been at the hospital non-stop. We're homeless right now». What further angered the family was what they described as pressure and intimidation attempts by the accused's relatives. «They came to the hospital and told us they have money, that we wouldn't be able to do anything as if they were saying, 'Let your daughter die, we'll buy our son's innocence'», Abdellah said. The case has sparked national outrage on social media, with thousands rallying around hashtags like #JusticeForGhita and #WeAreAllGhita, demanding stricter laws to ban vehicles from beaches and to criminalize such reckless acts. As the family clings to hope for Ghaitha's recovery, they remain in a state of shock, repeating one heartfelt plea: «We just want justice. And we just want our daughter back».
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