Published on social media Sunday, the 24-year-old woman, who authorities say has learning difficulties, is seen in the video crying and pleading for help as the boys tear off her clothes and insult her in Arabic, the Middle East Monitor reported.
Though the woman was clearly distressed, no other passenger on the Casablanca bus is seen coming to her aid — including the driver.
However, public transport company M'Dina Bus says they are not able to confirm that their driver had in fact "failed to act."
— MDINABUS (@mdinabuscasa) August 21, 2017
Though the incident is still under investigation, officials with the General Directorate of National Security have indicated that the video was first filmed three months ago, Morocco World News reported.
Since the news broke about the attack, Moroccan charity Don't Touch My Child called for any witnesses to come forward in order to bring to "justice this barbaric horde who shamefully attacked a young woman."
"This is unbelievable! It looks like we're living in a jungle now, because this is not sexual harassment, this is gang rape in a public space in front of everyone!" Fouzia Assouli, head of the Moroccan Federation of the Democratic League of Women's Rights, told World News. "Isn't the government supposed to assure the security of its citizens?! What does it mean to have people witnessing such a crime without moving a finger."
Despite the widespread condemnation, some netizens accused the woman of "[provoking] the men with indecent clothing."
With many outraged, hundreds of protesters later gathered in Casablanca to stand against sexual harassment.
"We can't let rapists think they're free to do as they please, so I'm attending because not only [do] I need to stand for what's right but also because it might be my mother, sister or friend who's next," Mamoun Arfal, a Casablanca resident told The Independent.
This is not the first incident to spark outrage: a 10-second video was published in early August showing a large group of men in Tangier chasing a woman who was walking alone.
