Teenage girls accused of homosexuality in Morocco acquitted
Two teenage girls were arrested in Morocco last October and detained for a week on charges of homosexuality.
A judge has now ruled that the girls are innocent and havebeen released into the custody of their parents, according to 9news..
The pair were allegedly caught kissing and hugging at their home in Marrakesh but denied being in a sexual relationship, stating they were only friends.
If found guilty, the girls could have been jailed for up to three years.
Morocco punishes acts of homosexuality and human rights groups publicly denounced the arrest, including the Moroccan Association of Human Rights, which appointed a lawyer to defend the girls in court.
Many men have been arrested and imprisoned for homosexuality across the country and this case was believed to be the first case in which female minors were prosecuted.