The incident of a Moroccan student committing suicide after being caught cheating on the first day of high school exams continues to shock and sadden the country. The last audio message from the girl revealed the reasons behind her tragic decision. On Monday, a student took her life by jumping into the sea in the city of Safi, central Morocco. Just minutes before her act, she spoke in a widely circulated audio recording about the details of her expulsion from the exam, expressing her fear of the consequences of being caught cheating. She pleaded with her family and everyone to forgive her for her actions and to pray for her mercy.
Crying intensely, the student stated in the audio message, "Forgive me and pray for my mercy, I was expelled from the exam for cheating, and I can no longer take any other exam, and by God, I will not continue to live." The incident left a profound shock in the country, particularly within educational circles, and the student's farewell words sparked widespread reactions on social media. Activists considered her a victim of the legal penalties for cheating in high school exams and a victim of the psychological pressures imposed by family and society on students.
Expressing concern about her family's reaction, activist Azio Musaddiq commented on the tragedy of a young student taking her life after being caught cheating in an exam. He lamented the fact that she left a message justifying her action, rooted in her fear of her family's reaction and the expectations from her educational and social environment. He argued that the baccalaureate certificate is not worth anyone taking their own life for it, holding the student's family responsible for creating psychological pressure by bargaining success and blaming society for viewing cheating as a grave sin.
Activist Bushra Lahyani expressed her shock after hearing the audio message in which the student explained her reasons for taking her life, adding in a post, "It seems the student was subjected to mistreatment by the supervising staff during the exam who threatened her with jail and complete deprivation from taking future baccalaureate exams; in other words, they positioned themselves as judges and condemned the end of her life."
Meanwhile, activist Rashid Ashnin sent a message to those responsible for organizing exams, stating, "It is very good to fight against cheating in exams, but we must know that we are dealing with children in a conflict with the law, not with criminals." Blogger Jamal Al-Hamous called for treating those caught cheating with humanity, especially since they are young adolescents living under significant pressure and capable of making mistakes. He emphasized the need to correct their behavior without destroying their future.
