Police have confirmed that a 37 year-old male is being held in custody in connection to an investigation into the case of an 11 year-old girl who gave birth to a premature baby on Thursday, November 1.
The confirmation was made as high-profile politicians, public figures and NGOs have launched a wider debate on child abuse and responsibility towards the welfare of young people in the Maldives.
Both government-aligned and opposition figures have called for authorities to properly investigate the pregnancy and alleged abuse of the girl, a stance backed by the Maldives’ Ministry of Islamic Affairs, which has labelled the matter a “very serious” and “dirty crime”.
The 11 year-old girl, who cannot be identified due to her age, gave birth to her child two months prematurely on Thursday.
Her child later died early morning on Friday (November 2), after being taken to Feydhoo regional hospital in Seenu Atoll for further treatment, with medical officials telling local media at the time that the girl had said she had been the victim of multiple cases of child abuse.
Police Spokesperson Sub Inspector Hassan Haneef told Minivan News today that a 37-year old male was presently being held in custody in relation to the case, but could not confirm if the 11-year old girl herself was presently under observation by authorities or was back with her family.
Islamic Affairs Minister Sheikh Mohamed Shaheem Ali Saeed told Minivan News he was aware of the ongoing investigations into the matter, which he labelled “a very big crime,” adding that the young girl should not herself take any blame or punishment.
“Personally I can’t say any word to punish a small girl in grade six. This may be a rape or sexual abuse case,” he said.
“We must find the man who did this dirty crime and he must be punished. I believe this to be a very serious case and have this morning talked with the Human Right’s Minster and Attorney General regarding the [issue].”
The Minister for Gender, Family, and Human Rights is presently is mandated to deal with the matter.
Gender Minister Dhiyana Saeed referred Minivan News to Dr Aishath Rameela, State Minister for Gender, Family, and Human Rights.
Dr Rameela was not responding to calls at time of press.
Twitter debate
Debate over the case has raged on social media over the last few days. Political figures including MP Rozaina Adam of the Dhivehi Rayyithunge Party (DRP) stressed via Twitter that investigations conducted by both the police and the Maldives Gender Ministry of were proceeding at “top speed”.
Rozaina, who labelled the case as both “unacceptable” and “shocking”, demanded on social media that police make the case a high priority and find the person responsible for fathering the child.
“An 11 year-old doesn’t get pregnant by herself! This is child abuse we are talking about here n authorities need to find out who is responsible,” she wrote on the social media service.
Rozaina was not responding to calls from Minivan News at the time of press.
Meanwhile, Ali Rameez, a famous singer who gave up music and now heads the Islamic NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf, tweeted on Friday: “All you people who claim to be Muslims! In Allah’s Shariah [law], a child grows up when he or she reaches puberty. Not when they turn 16, 18, 25.”
Rameez, who also hosts a religious program on private radio station SunFM, tweeted earlier that he was “not aware that children could get pregnant.”
The comments were criticised by some social media users including former Environment Minister Mohamed Aslam, who tweeted: “Where are the children’s right groups… Where is HRCM.. Horrified with the preaching of people like Ali Rameez.”
Outside of the political sphere, local NGO, Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) yesterday issued a statement calling on the government, civil society organisations and the general public to step up efforts to combat child abuse in society.
“ARC strongly condemns the recent case of child abuse resulting in the pregnancy of an 11 year-old child. ARC calls upon the authorities to utilise all necessary resources to ensure the safety and protection of the child,” the statement read It is an obligation for us as responsible citizens to protect our children, and it is the Maldivian government’s obligation as a signatory to the Convention of the Rights of the Child (CRC) that all international commitments to protect the rights of all children are adhered to fully.”
ARC also highlighted the importance of respecting the child’s privacy, while urging parliament, the government and the nation’s judiciary to take “action urgently” over the case.
“We also call on the relevant state institutions, civil society and other international entities in the country to take all precautionary measures to prevent violations of children’s rights, protect their safety and well-being, and to maximize their efforts to address comprehensively the issue of the violations of children’s rights in the Maldives,” the statement added.
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agree with ali rameez. everyone is so sympathetic for the girl as if she is a child. childs dont give birth once you reach puberty you r not a child you are responsible for ur actions. we call our selfs muslims yet we imitate the kuffar when we say that this is a child. if she committed zina she must be punished as well and we dont know if this was rape or zina. so why are they arresting only the man?
"Personally I can’t say any word to punish a small girl in grade six. This may be a rape or sexual abuse case,” he said.
What does it mean "MAY BE" rape or sexual abuse???? 11 year old CAN NOT give CONSENT for SEX (FULL STOP)
@ MUSAA Shuaib, you call yourself a MUSLIM?? Shame on Muslim's then. we as a society cant protect our innocent young...why on hell did Allah put us on this earth. U people should BURN in hell. Prophet Mohamed bought civilization to an age of darkness. NOW u people are taking us all back to dark ages. SAHME ON YOU ALL for supporting child abuse.
For all those advocating punishment for this child if she had 'consented', they need to look at the case of Lina Medina, a 5 year old girl that got pregnant. Google the name if you want to know more. But if you believe that a girl as small as that knows what is right and wrong in the world, and u wud advocate a flogging if she did not protest the rape on her, then i advise u question if God would be that cruel!
this is the result of extremist Muslims gaining an upper hand in politics.. people like Imran and Shaheem are literally dictating religion to the government and the masses now.. hence, people like Ali Rameez, an extreme case worth a psychoanalyst's couch, are sanctioned by the regime...
It's terrifying to think that people like Musaa Shuaib are actually serious about what they are saying. The salafi supremacists are only going to make Maldives into the new Pakistan. Soon enough, acid attacks on girls going to school may just become a reality.
This, is the true face of Islam.
i hope these kangaroo courts will not flog her for this "crime"
hmmmm! Now all the islamophobic idiots will condemn Ali Rameez for saying what he said and minivan has done quite a good job of garnering up the hatred from different parties of homos and atheists commenting here!!
They will shout filth and gross and will condemn Islam for speaking the truth; that is children reach puberty at different ages(but does that mean you can have sex??). Thus, they will try to prove how humane they are and how inhumane Muslims are????YAWN!!!!
However if we look at thier own backyards(meaning; the athiests, non muslims, the most dangerous lot-homos in the so called civilized west)we see the same picture in fact, a much worse scenario where they have gross cartoons displaying kissing scenes, 24/7 free porn and books that teach children; homos are A ok.
IN fact, these homos are the most dangerous
http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Evils%20in%20America/Sodomy/pederasts.htm
Maldivians condemn Maldives and the backwardness of Islam for such types of acts but is the rest of the world free from all these atrocities.
http://www.nationalchildrensalliance.org/NCANationalStatistics
sigh, it will always be the blame game and no direct action from anyone.
Humans are such hypocrites??!!!
I accept the fact that entertainment can be sought from the political turmoil. I know the country is being exploited by the businessmen.
But can we atleast have the decency to protect our children? They are innocent!
When the public praises the con artists, when the public chooses imbeciles to represent them in parliament, when the public humiliates the children, What have be become???
Ali Rameez is a turd!
I've seen shimy and Musaa Shuaib sitting in a tree. K I S S I N G
We have to protect our children. They cant protect themselves. Do whatever you can folks, be it raising your voice against these, be it reading more about these issues and opening up our minds to compassion and love, be it helping someone in need even if it is just one boy or just one girl.
@Ekaola's buddy: I have seen them too KISSING. Now we're two! Who else has seen them?
Humans are such hypocrites.
Muslims are humans.
Therefore Muslims must be such hypocrites.
Gasp! With this knowledge, Shimy, I hope u don't copulate with a goat to produce better offspring.
See, everyone here is acting the way that was predicted.
The blame game and the mocking, never would anyone underestimate the power of the human brain! that's what the west does!!!nothing solid!!
Apparently extramarital affairs are good,drugs are good,alcohol is good,donkey sex is good,porn is good,child trafficking is good(what a business),if the west decides something is good then it becomes the law!!!
How are we supposed to protect our children when everything is good and nothing is evil?????
I think we must celebrate the fact that Shaheem for whatever reasons took a fairly strong stand against the abuse of the child without demonizing her.
Meanwhile the authorities, as well politicians and NGOs have stepped up and condemned the persons guilty for the plight of the child.
Shall we all join hands and celebrate the fact that our politicians and society in general are no longer complacent in the face of such crimes?
Shall we all ignore Ali Rameez and his comment and look at the wider picture - a society that condemns child abuse and no longer tolerates sexual exploitation of children?
@dhevil,
Muslims are humans, you dork!and i meant hypocrites including the Muslim bunch who do not know how to follow religion!!!
Well there you go. We have people like Ali Rameez, Musa Shuaib and Shimmy condoning the sexualisation of girls and making our girl children accountable for sexual acts.
If Islamic Sharia states that a girl can have sex when she reaches puberty then why has the Minister of Islamic Affairs spoken against what has happened?
The physical emotional and sexual abuse of our children is rampant in our country. Sex abusers are protected by their families while the lives of our children are destroyed. Wives continue to live with their husbands who abuse their children, look the other way when their sons abuse their sisters and accuse other men of the crimes their husbands, sons, nephews, servants, cooks, friends of the family, commit.
The Minister of Islamic Affairs MUST take action against the ignorant men and women creating confusion, conflict, and fear among us in the name of Islam!. Not enough having a few nice words and a few phone calls. I call on the Minister of Islamic Affairs to resign if he cannot contain these dangerous misfits calling themselves muslims.
ali rameez for president. i very much question lambaadaas speed in throwing us back to the stone ages. train of thought of ali rameez is right on track and the fitting man for the job.
Some people tend to do all kinds of actrocities thinking that they will not come to light. And these people are often walk about in the island wearing a tie and holding latest iphones, pretending to be very dignified persons so as to get attention from poor people. They do not even spare goats if got a chance in obscurity.Check out the link.
http://www.haveeru.com.mv/news/35155
the problem with Maldivian secularists is that they cannot stand islam. for them If a girl gets pregnant its because of islam, if a person steals its because of islam. if somebody does something crazy thats also because of islam and Muslims.
This is a big difference.
I have known secularists from other cultures who can stand others who do not share their view. Maybe we need more time to appreciate the different views of others. But reading through the comments it looks just hopeless how people mindlessly rage against islam in this small conservative society. IT could mean a few things.
1. could be that the secularists or non-muslim maldivians find Minivan the only place to rage about their anguish.
2. could also mean that they were never exposed to living with a group of people who do not necessarily share their views.
Why all these hatred comments towards islam and other religions?Religions teach us how to behave properly and all those who have a distorted mind can bark as much as they like but should not talk about religions.Shame on you real unbelievers and may God protect all innocent children against these predators!!!
Haha! I couldn't stop laughing when Shimy posted a link from a site called 'jesus is saviour'. And he calls others hypocrites.
...
F*cking LOL!
Islam states that a child comes of age upon reaching puberty. That is becos Islam is a religion for all ages. And at different points in human civilization children are defined differently. A large part of this is based on a society's level of socioeconomic growth and educational standards. A hundred years ago, heck even 50 years ago most "children" became "adults" by the time they were 14. But the societal norms are now different. A child of 14 today has not been brought up to expect that it is now time to settle down or start contributing to his or her society. A child of 14 in this age has been in most cases brought up to look forward to continue his or her education. The same way, societal norms may change either way another 50 years from now. And hopefully not towards a norm where children of 11 years are considered as old enough to give sexual consent. Though Islam gives us the guideline that children come of age upon puberty, society is allowed to set standards beyond that based on education and living standard development. So even if this girl might not have protested during the act, in the eyes of the law she should not be ordinarily seen as capable of giving consent. Statutory rape should be standard legal parlance when it comes to matters such as this, becos the older you get the wiser you're supposed to be. And shame on Ali Rameez for the audacity of his tweet and his misrepresentation of Islam.
Where is the Sheik Imran, of the Protection of Islam & Airport. I think Adalath Party members should personally flog the 11 year old women, and beat the crap out of her. Make sure she never ever dreams of sex again.
37 year old man may be innocent; the women may have wooed him in to such filthy thing as sex.
Shame on you ppl... its a gals life we are talking about here... and u guys are mocking each other and trying to outsmart the other??? just stop a second and think what if the victim is someone u care for... someone u love... this is terrible... even if in islam a gal is considered an adult after puberty... they are not exposed to sex... especially in our culture we try not to make them have sex or marry them as soon as they reach puberty... cos they are still kids in their brains... and their bodies still in the developing process... at this age a gal wouldnt even know what sex is unless shes been played with from childhood
@Zakir
We should 'not' talk about religion? Exactly. Your religion, and pretty much the majority of religions around the world, despise man actually putting some effort into thinking.
We should talk about religion, and ridicule them every chance we get, so that our children don't grow up thinking that it is alright to fly planes into buildings, blow themselves up in the middle of markets, go on holy crusades, burn witches, rape 'uncovered' women, marry children and reject science and rational thought. The good thing though, is religion is dying, and by the end of this century, religions of today would be nothing but stories told, just like what has become of Zeus, Odin or Thor.
@Wives and concubines,
yeah, reject religion and legalize the most horrendous of acts in the world. Humans got the brains, don't they as it came from nowhere.(by chance or luck eheeehe!!! what a theory??!!)as you might believe.
and for your info, Jesus is a prophet of god and Islam respects all prophets, for gods sake,study it for a change!!!
I find that you are more deluded and insecure about yourself than most of the fake muslims here!!(no wonder; nobody for guidance since you believe in no creator for guidance)
You believe you know everything about religion but you know very little???
Number of Muslims in the U.S. doubles since 9/11
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-05-03/news/31560588_1_muslim-community-religious-group-islamic
now you will say Americans are dumb dorks??? no way you people will consider somebody elses view?? it's all about your arrogance:(
So don't mock Ali Rameez for telling us the truth. Children become adults when they reach puberty and the Shariah of Allah is more important than what some deranged Westerners have to say.
That doesn't mean that girls as young as this as sex can go and have sex whenever they like yeah;...
but maybe if it weren't such a big deal to get married we wouldnt have such terrible happenings.
but muslim countries are not the only countries where this happened. in the Roschtiled owned homosexual states of america fyi...so much disgusting stuffs going on like i've already said.
BUT ONLY MUSLIMS GET BLAMED. lol, what pathetic crap.
all you dumb dorks do is mock religion when you know nothing.?? bunch of arrogant hypocrites
ONLY TIME AND DEATH WILL SHOW US THE TRUTH! REPENT!
'legalize the most horrendous of acts in the world. Humans got the brains, don’t they as it came from nowhere.'
Is this why highly non-religious countries like Sweden are developed, and Islamic countries are the worst hell holes on the face of the planet? The even funnier fact is you muslims are trying to emigrate to these 'non religious' secular satanist countries to escape from the failure of your nations.
And don't use the 'Jesus is a prophet' excuse on me. That website was a conservative christian website with loads of bs. Muslims despise christianity and mock it every chance they get. Their version of jesus and the the christian version are quite different with no substantial evidence to back up either version.
I should also let you know, that 70% of all converts to Islam in the USA, leave it in a few years. The study was done by a Pakistani born muslim, Dr. Ilyas Ba-Yunus. iERA, one of the largest and most active muslim organizations in Britain, confirms this as well. Look it up.
I can guarantee you that no matter how many links you put up for Islam's perceived growth, there will be as many regarding droves of people leaving it. And the stat of 'fastest growing religion' is also fake, in case you try to bring it up. Check the real statistics. Last time I checked, the bahai faith was leading.
Ali Rameez, heads the Islamic NGO Jamiyyathul Salaf.
where does he get the money to spread militant islam. Where did the Fothi fihaara capital investments originate is it Islamic drug money to spread vilolent islam
Taliban money.
Afgan/Pakistan Drug money.
Recently these religious militants made a trip to islamic militant infested somalia so calmly and soothly as if it were like a visit to Hulhumale island. How are these religous NGO's monitered in the Maldives. Their monetary affairs should be monitered.
to fake shimy,
you're pathetic, you always do this when i comment, just shows your insecurity and incapability to have a conversation???!!!
@shimy
You realise that all those Dhimmy-apologists for islam will be saying that this is an 'exception' and not the true shari'ah?
Of course, we know better: Mohamed had sex with a 9 year old, so it is ok.
Mohamed did not like girls saying NO to him, so consenting adults is a 'western decadence'.
However, Actually to believe that two consenting adults - regardless of gender - is somehow worse than raping children requires a truly religion-addled brain like yours.
yea he get those money bundles from the DRUG company in Afganistan which was rebuilt when America tookover Afgan after the bloody Barbaric war. The war which was a little example of the white humans fought to sieze the RED INDIAN's lands...
@wives and concubines,
Oh! now you believe in a Pakistani Muslim, i thought Pakistani's were altogether terrorists and extremists!!(and different statistics sites show different results but am not concerned about that)
the point is, after 9/11 people and a lot of them, found out the truth about Islam and that was why they converted. If it had such bad implications as you
are describing it to have then why did so many change (with the then, labeling of Islam as being the demon of the human race).
They definitely saw something good about the religion.
but the question now is, are they changing back because of the incapability of their own selves or the incapability and cruelness of Islam? I hope you have some info or statistics about this!!
Overall what you have predicted in your earlier comment about religion dying is correct because the Qur'an has predicted this long before!!
This is what is happening around the world!
@shimy on Mon, 5th Nov 2012 7:33 PM
Man are you so thick headed that you do not see the gaping holes in your logic?
If any of the software versions had originated from the source, The God, how in damn hell can it be headed where they all are going now? How can there be so many bugs?
If the developer wanted, all He need to do is snap his fingers and we, as mortal humans, would not even have capacity to utter words 'Christian' to 'Islam'. Let alone there be irrecoverable tangled noodles of Shia, Ahmedi, Sunni, etc.
Musaa Shuaib - They arrested only this so-called "man" because he had sex with an 11 year old. In a civilized society, an 11 year old is still, emotionally and mentally a child. The fact that the infant died should be enough proof that 11 year olds should not be having babies. This "man" deserves whatever punishment he gets.
@ Joking Aside,
do not take the literal meaning of religion dying as it is but i meant religion will be there but nobody will take any notice of it!!
whats the big deal....
in this 21st century.... many of the South American and European countires allow sex when the person reaches 13 yrs or 14 yrs (and in some it is allowed when 12yrs) so its no big problem guys... its just ur thinking. if both agrees you have no right to stop it.... RIGHT... its none of ur business...
@Lauren..
many infants die like that. and many huge women have pre-delivery... Does it mean that they havent reach the age of having babies...
and one the otherhand we can see from the near history , that many - so called - little girls have had perfect deliveries. so think wise b4 u comment if u dont want to be embarrassed
@Joking Aside,
I might be thick headed and dumb.
I also do not understand why Muslims are as they are now. I am trying to understand it!
But i have enough power in my brain to believe in a god as everything came from a source (BTW your software's didn't come to existence just like that, did it? It was made, cropped up by someone)
appreciate your logic and reasoning but if you say that you came to earth on your own, you just popped up from no where as a cell and developed into a human being, then i get uncontrollable laughter, hmmmmmmmph!
If humans are so god-like, then why do we depend on each other and the environment around us.Everyone and everything is dependent on each other for survival.So people like you will not depend on anything, i guess, good for you!!??
@Joking aside
Sorry for my dumb reasoning but i am a Muslim and Muslims are dumb, i presume.
i hope your gentle awesomeness can shed some light on this!!
@Barbarian
The risk of an infant dying is a lot higher when the mother is underage. So, if this 11 year old got pregnant again, there is still the likelyhood that the next one could die as well, or the child/mother could die. 11 year olds should not be havng babies. This is not normal, nor is it common. Just because a man in his 50's called himself a prophet and then had sex with a 9 year old doesn't mean that an adult should be allowed to behave that way towards children. There's a very good chance that the girl became pregnant as the result of being raped, not that you care.
Where is Sheik Ali Razeezs big mouth? These sheiks love to influence young adolescent girls and the weaker sex where ever there is a sex crime, just so that they could have them as sex objects. and
The cowardice guy calling is Muslims as nonbelievers in is twitter feeds. Hey sheik Ali rameez, when it is homosexual preying on young boys or there is bomb blast at a market or mosque or flying planes in to building, you big beardy mouth is hush and hiding inside where the sun don’t shine. For God sake Ali Rameez terrorist lover said on a lock weekly magazine the he loves to meet the most is, Osama bin Ladin; and people just forget and treat him as a religious guide and lecturer.
You are so self absorbed. this discussion is about an 11 year old sexualised by a 37 year old man. In the Republic of Maldives a child is a minor until 18 years.This is not about you.
Can we stick to that discussion? get a life.
ok, ok I'll end this as everybody has ended it on their own terms(probably didn't have anything else to say when the god part came, ehehehe but it was fun chatting with the atheists, i don't get chances like this!
And the weird thing about the discussion is, it's all about religion and not about the child???
"...“We must find the man who did this dirty crime and he must be punished."
Why all the concern - after all - they should be following the example of their prophet shouldn't they?
Sahih Bukhari Volume 7, Book 62, Number 88
Narrated 'Ursa:
The Prophet wrote the (marriage contract) with 'Aisha while she was six years old and consummated his marriage with her while she was nine years old and she remained with him for nine years