Fez Court Orders Municipality to Pay Compensation After Stray Dog Attacks Child
Rabat – A court in Fez has ordered the city's municipality to pay compensation to the family of a young girl who was attacked by a stray dog in one of the city's neighborhoods, according to converging reports.
In a ruling issued on Thursday, the Administrative Court of First Instance in Fez found the urban commune of Fez responsible for the incident. The court ordered the municipality, through its legal representative, to pay MAD 22,000 ($2,430) to the plaintiff on behalf of his minor daughter.
The amount will be paid through the city's insurance company, which will take full responsibility for the payment, Le 360 reported.
The court rejected other requests by the plaintiff and decided that the legal costs should be shared between both parties.
The judgment was based on Article 100 of Organic Law No. 113.14 related to municipalities. This law holds local governments responsible for taking the necessary steps to collect stray dogs and fight the spread of rabies in order to protect public safety.
The court ruled that the municipality had failed to meet its obligations by not taking enough preventive measures to reduce the danger posed by stray dogs. This failure was considered a public service fault under Article 79 of the Moroccan Code of Obligations and Contracts, which justifies the city's administrative responsibility.
Many residents and activists have been calling on Moroccan authorities to take stronger and more urgent measures to deal with the growing problem of stray dogs in Moroccan cities.
They are urging local councils to invest in better animal control programs, raise awareness, and ensure public safety, especially for children in residential neighborhoods.
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