Chapter 7: Moroccan Delinquent Boys in Dutch Society

In October 2004 Moroccan boys made headlines again in the Dutch media. A small group of young Moroccans had terrorized a young Dutch family in such a way that they had been forced to flee their own home. This was not the first time families had been forced to leave their neighborhood as a result of the annoying and criminal behaviour of Moroccan youngsters. A year before, all Dutch newspapers, radio, and television also covered an incident involving a group of Moroccan boys between 15 and 18 years old who had hung puppets on a lamppost and a tree, with a noose around the neck. The puppets were wearing plates with the names of some local policemen on it. Only one week before that incident, also in Amsterdam, a group of Moroccan boys and one Tunisian boy had kicked to death a female drug addict. Supposedly, but proved wrongly afterward, she had stolen a can of beer. As the woman shouted the word kutmarokkanen (“fucking Moroccans”), she was kicked over and over again. She died as a result of her injuries. Almost a year ago a municipal alderman had introduced the nasty, abusive word in an informal chat with the mayor of Amsterdam. That chat happened to be recorded and the alderman had to make his apologies.