Police have said their investigation into the alleged 17-year-old concubine revealed that rumours the girl was being kept as a sex slave were exaggerated.
However at a press conference today, Mirufath Faiz, head of the family and child protection unit, said the investigation was still ongoing as her marriage in India to a 22-year-old Maldivian man was not legally recognised.
“What we are now investigating is the case of an under-aged girl who became pregnant,” she said.
The case of the ‘concubine’ was first brought to public attention by former Attorney General Azima Shukoor at a Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) rally.
Azima said she read on freelance journalist Hilath Rasheed’s blog that a woman who took an under-aged girl to Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital told a doctor that she was her husband’s concubine.
Police and the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) have since been trying to locate the girl.
Jeehan Mahmoud, spokesperson for the commission, told Minivan News today the matter had been handed over to the police.
“We are no longer investigating the concubine case,” she said.
Mirufath said today the investigation has shown that the matter became increasingly exaggerated as the stories came out of IGMH.
She said a Dr Shifan from IGMH told police the girl’s guardian told him that she was her husband’s concubine.
“But the older woman who took the girl denies this,” she said, adding hospital records show that she took the girl on two occasions in late June.
She said police began its investigation in September and gathered information of all girls who took pregnancy tests at IGMH from June.
In the process, she said, police learned that a 16-year-old girl tested positive.
In May, Ahmed Jihadhu, 22, M. Liyage, married the 16-year-old outside of court, she continued, and submitted a marriage certificate to the family court in June.
“But, even though the marriage took place in India, the family court informed police that the marriage was not registered as the girl was 16 years old,” she said.
Ahmed Jihadhu (pictured above) is currently in police custody on suspicion of harbouring a fugitive.
Mirufath said police have confirmed that the girl was aged 16 when the marriage in India took place and the scan in June showed she was six weeks pregnant. Doctors said she is due to give birth in March 2010.
The girl’s father told police he consented to the marriage on the condition that it would be registered in the Maldives and was unaware that it took place in India.
Mirufath stressed that the marriage was not legally recognised in the Maldives.
At a press conference today, Fathmath Yumna, director general of the department of gender and family protection service, said the department was first alerted to the family in 2003.
The girl’s step-father alleged her mother was abusing the children, she said. Both have since passed away.
The case worker noted that the girl was neglected and not being educated.
Yumna said the girl’s father expressed concern and have since agreed for the department to take her under its care.
She urged the media to be more responsible in its coverage and not reveal the girl’s identity.
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It worries me that the situation arose because the procedures in dealing suspected child abuse case were not followed or is non existent. Why didn't the doctor or the medical officer examining the child bring this to the attention of Child care services. In this case if the child managed to get married why are the parents not being held responsible for the act as well as the "husband"? The Child probably had her drems destroyed on 2003 when they failed to take action on the report then. So much for the system.
If the People's Majilis Pass a bill that says, for example anyone who is under 30 years of age is considered as children,then most of us will be child abusers. They could make laws like that. But we'll not respect, or obey any of those laws that contradict islamic Shari'ah. We are slaves of Allah. We aren't slaves of this kufr government.
Asalaam Alaikum,
This whole thing turned out to be a slap in the face of Human Rights Organization of the Maldives.
I wonder if Human Rights Organization of Maldives coudnt find a better thing than going after a girl who had been abused and neglected by society and exploiting her infront of the whole Maldives even more.Is this Human Rights.If their agenda was to defame Islam than you have failed.
All that Human Rights had done is to find comfort for child abusers,rapists,killers,drug offenders and drug lords to find more comfort in their cells in the prison.Why dont you guys make a FIVE STAR HOTEL for prisoners.
Still there are Tsunami victims living in temporary shelters,look at exploitation of foreign labours in the Maldives.These people have family like us.They morgage all the property and come here to work in congested rooms which no human being should be kept.Their salary is not paid nor their any rights being fullfilled.They go back to find their families in the street.How many people from the local Islands are admitted in the Hospital who dont have any way of sending their members to get better medical from a foreign country.IGMH scan machine had been out of service for weeks ,appointments are congested.I wonder if you will perform an operation of a relative of yours in a hospiatl in that condition. How many rape victims or families of murder victims is seeking for justice.You guys just put the fat salary in your pocket and all you do is run after alleged concubine or voice out for prisoners rights or go play tennis with your colleagues.Shame on you guys.It disgust me to the limit that i wanna puke.Do something solid or get a job.
Asalaam Alaikum.
I agree with Rilwan..Well said