Victim Support Morocco is a national association dedicated to safeguarding the rights of victims. Our mission includes ensuring that victims are not only heard but also seen, and that they have access to free legal and emotional support throughout the entire legal process. VSM operates as a voluntary association, providing free and anonymous advice and support to victims and witnesses of criminal acts. Whether you are a direct victim, a dependent of the victim, or a witness, our goal is to offer the necessary support not only to you but also to your loved ones and professionals working with victims.
Meet the people behind
The creation of VSM and MOTAS owes its success to the exceptional efforts of our dedicated teams and partners. We are grateful for the inspiration and support received from Victim Support Europe (VSE) and our other international partners as Irish Tourist Assistance Service (ITAS).
Our management committee
The General Assembly is the highest governing body of Victim Support Morocco (VSM) and Morocco Tourist Assistance Service (MOTAS). The Committee is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Associations, deriving authority from the General Assembly in collaboration with the Secretary. Additionally, the Committee manages external partnerships and handles VSMs external relations. Soon you can meet the management committee here.
Our Advisory board
Our Advisory Board plays a vital role in shaping VSM and MOTAS, promoting knowledge sharing, and advocating for victims’ rights. They actively advocate for victims within their professional realms, collaborating with specialists, media, and policymakers through legislative proposals. Comprising national and international members, all dedicated to victim support, they share a common goal of ensuring accessible, qualified, consistent, and transparent legal and emotional assistance, as well as expanding victim rights. Stay tuned as we proudly introduce our Advisory Board soon.
Become an member!
We are actively seeking Advisory Board members, including experienced professionals, former and current politicians, and passionate activists in the field of victim support. As a member of our Advisory Board, you will serve as a crucial ambassador, actively shaping our political initiatives and contributing to the development of our association. If you are interested in becoming an Advisory Board member and making a meaningful impact by advocating for the best legal and emotional support for crime victims and witnesses, as well as fighting for their rights, we should talk!
OUR VALUES
Creating Victim Support Morocco (VSM) and Morocco Tourist Assistant Service (MOTAS) has been a cultural journey, driven by our commitment to understanding and meeting the authentic needs of national and cross-border victims. Our values shape our approach, emphasizing practical and effective solutions over mere theory. With the support of national and international partnerships, innovation, and influence, our goal is to revolutionize victim support, fostering a new culture of assistance for national and cross-border victims.
Our journey
Victim Support Morocco (VSM) and Morocco Tourist Assistance Service (MOTAS) was officially established in November 2022, but its journey began back in February 2019 in Tanger. The founder of VSM, Sandy Madar from Denmark, experienced helplessness, and confusion within the legal system after being a cross-border victim in Morocco. This personal experience laid the foundation for Victim Support Morocco in 2022, driven by the belief that no victim should have to struggle for their rights. The COVID-19 pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns in Morocco from 2020 to 2021 caused delays in the official launch. However, this time was utilized to lay the groundwork for providing qualified victim support in Morocco.
How it all started - 2019
During a work visit in Tangier, Morocco in February 2019, the now founder of Victim Support Morocco had a very unpleasant experience that made it obvious that the victim support system was not working as it could in Morocco. This claim was only further proved repeatedly by the founder’s next many visits back to Morocco in her fight for justice, a fight that took many turns on its way.
Making a promise - 2020
Her own experience(s) as a cross border victim in Morocco combined with an experience where she witnesses in 2020 how a Moroccan female victim was treated when she needed help made her realize that something had to be done for victims in general in Morocco and not only cross border victims. As COVID19 worldwide lockdown exposed all work in Morocco until October 2020 where a new transgressive experience happened when visiting an official office making her first wanting to just give up after almost 20 trips in three years. A following (online) speech in November 2020 at the annual Victim Support Morocco conference about her experience as a cross border victim and her fight for justice made her realize that if she would just give up, no one else would have focus on cross border victims for when the world opens again and we start traveling or which victim could spend two years for justice in their own case, not many.
Almost there - 2021
Due to the lockdowns in Morocco in 2020 - 2021, most of the work with victim's support was focused on building the online community for organisations in Morocco working with victims. The aim with the platform is not only to strengthen victim support organisation through networking, education, project management, national and international news in the victim area and much more. Besides building the online community, the focus has also been on working on the website and finding the first volunteers to start the organisation officially i 2022.
We made it - 2022
After finely finding the other four moroccan members who genuinely wants to make a differens for victims in morocco, we could finely start Victim Support Morocco officielle in November. There are no words to express how excited we are to finely be able to help victims - not only by ensuring access to qualified victim support and so much more.
Victim Support Morocco is now officielle - 2023
The 6. march we finely got the official papers for Victim Support Morocco (VSM), which means we after three years can start helping victims of crime. In May, Morocco Tourist Assistance Service (MOTAS) amid at tourists being victims of crimes while visiting Morocco collaborated with Irish Tourist Assistance Service after first visiting them in Dublin in 2020.