Police have arrested a third female in connection with the prematurely abandoned baby found inside a Coast Milk Tin in Villingili last week.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the arrest was made.
‘’She’s an 18 year-old female,’’ said Shiyam, adding that investigation was ongoing.
Shiyam said the six month premature baby was discovered after police were informed about the incident.
Yesterday, Deputy Head of police Serious and Organised Crime Department Inspector Abdulla Nawaz told the press that police had arrested a 30 year old woman from Noonu Atoll who was the suspected mother of the baby, and a 24 year old woman from Kaafu Atoll who was alleged to have assisted her deliver the baby prematurely.
Nawaz identified the suspected mother as Aiminath Shaira, 30 of Manadhoo in Noonu Atoll and the 24 year-old woman who allegedly assisted with the abortion the baby as Fathmath Aniya of Hura in Kaafu Atoll.
According to Nawaz, both women live in Male’ in the same house.
Nawaz told media that Shaira had confessed giving birth three days ago but was unable to tell police where the baby was, and that Aniya had confessed to assisting Shaira deliver the baby.
Meanwhile, islanders on Manadhoo told Minivan News they felt “deep shame” as news of the incident circulated.
‘’The island of Manadhoo has a very low profile in crime and it has remained like that for ages, until we heard that an islander of our island has given birth to an illegal child and thrown the baby away,’’ said an islander.
Shaira was a dancer, he claimed.
‘’Others arrested in connection with this case are not related to our island, we hear that they are members of her dance group,’’ he added. ‘’It’s the first time something like this happened concerning our island, we are all in deep shame, especially because people notice this island as an island that maintains a low crime rate compared to all other islands in this atoll.’’
Having a child out of wedlock remains heavily stigmatised in the Maldives. Previous studies conducted in the country by groups such as the International Planned Parenthood Foundation (IPPF) have anecdotally pointed to high rates of illegal abortion, while other studies on HIV risk factors have pointed to high levels of promiscuity and limited use of contraceptives.
Maldivians don't know the existence of safe sex and contraceptives...Hell of an ignorant country!! Internet access is easily available,everyone claims to be literate but no one in this country knows how to educate themselves regarding such important issues...They are totally clueless about these things..Not because they are Muslims,only because of their basic ignorance!! Even the so called educated people don't know much about relevant things like family planning,health care at home,safe sex and avoiding unwanted pregnancies.....They are interested in maybe only enjoying few things in life:food,sex and driving motorcycles..LOL!
That's the average Maldivian's life and their mind is restricted to thinking about when next to eat some junk food(you see,there are no good restaurants or eateries)and when next to go out with their mates or partners to have sex (maybe because there's nothing to do in Maldives in the name of recreation,no shopping malls,no theaters or cinemas or entertainment parks)all they do is ride on a motorcycle after having eaten their fried rotten short eats and having had unsafe and unhygienic sex they go for the next motorcycle round around Male' on the dirty and smelly roads..who knows they might even end up crashing another motorcycle or hitting a poor slaving foreign laborer on the road and care a damn and run away from there!!..lol..no real traffic regulations ..
All you will see is all sizes of women riding behind all sizes of men on the same kind of motorcycle on the same dirty roads...Maybe that's why their minds don't work..the sedentary lifestyle must have turned them into unfeeling robots!!!!which turned them into these unfeeling inhuman killers!!
I agree... Maldivians- better maldives should be marketted in the outside wotrld as the "paradise of uncivilisation"
How wonderfully amusing that you talk of ignorance, while the irony of flagrantly displaying your own while doing so seems to have evaded you.
I'd rather be Maldivian than Xenophobic.
Having a child out of wedlock in Maldives is not a Stigma in Maldives, its FASHIO. Many women here do so as the punishement for doing so has been made so lineant in the recent years. This time the topic has reached headlines because it involves murder of the baby too, otherwise no one would have been bothered. Everyday we find many women giving birth to illegal children, its very common now. Its time to step up the judiciary system and give these women a bit harsh punishment so that they stay within their limits. Perhaps they would think twice before opening up their legs for anyone.
This is tragic and sad and it hurts every time when I read something like this ... but maldivian ladies are not the only ones who are doing this (in Europe you find Baby-windows at special places where you can leave your baby...)
Something like this should not happen anywhere on this planet!
But surley, it happens more often in Muslim-countries as the punishment is so very strong for an "illegal" Baby...
But still:
This goes to the guy "I cry for you Maldives".
Do you have any idea about what you're writing? I am living on the Maldives since some years and most of the sentences you're writing are sooo false!
1. There are very good restaurants in Male (even for European standarts). Take Sala Thai, Sala Italia, Oglio etc.
2. Have you ever been to Malé? I can tell you just like that that there are at least 2 cinemas and enough musical events. Even one Salsa Club as far as I know - so there IS some culture too.
3. I have never seen an accident happening between motorcicles and tourists...
So, please first think an then write!!!
haha...Agree completely with Rannamaari's comment.
Where are the links to related articles?
you cant do that you kiiled a baby
hahaha... bunch of "literate" people commenting on this topic. WOW..
Entertainment is all in your mind, its how you choose to define it and how you see it "Maldives: I cry for you!!"..true we are in the Jurassic period when it we talk about entertainment venues. But does it really need to be discos or clubs filled with liquor, prostitutes and one-night stands..
well tell me a country, better yet lets narrow it down to a city which does not have a smelly street, lane or road, or at least part of it..
we all blame others for their arrogance and ignorance yet we fail to practice what we preach...
well i'm off to have my daily intake of "fried rotten short eats" and my daily doze of unsafe and unhygienic sex.. may be a gang bang this time.. whose with me??.. i'll trow in a used condom if it helps..LOL... also latter on i'm gonna "go for the next motorcycle round around Male’ on the dirty and smelly road".. wanna go for a ride...hmm that sounds FFFUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNN!!!!!
Getting pregnant out of wedlock and killing babies is a phenomena that happens all around the world. The one thing that is different in the Maldives is the fact that these stories make news headlines and that the women who get pregnant and have abortions are considered to be criminals. I am in no way defending out of wedlock pregnancies and illegal abortions, but the right thing to do at a moment of crisis such as this would be to take practical steps which would acknowledge the reality and move on from there.
Here is the reality:
Yes, we are considered a 100 percent Islamic country and according to Islamic Sharia sex out of wedlock, pregnancy out of wedlock, homosexual sex, cheating on your spouse are all punishable "crimes". The reality is that in the Maldives all of these are rather common, but we all still like to ignore the reality and call ourselves saints and live in a made up world. The best way to deal with such issues is first, admit that these things happen and will happen and run programs to educate and raise awareness rather than criminalize those acts. The status of women in society is central to dealing with this issue. Educate and empower women, increase punishment for men convicted of abuse and rape cases, include sex education as part of the school curriculum, increase social and career development opportunities for youth, increase recreational opportunities. These are all ways to deal with the issue. But criminalizing certain acts and degrading and victimizing women will get you no where to solving the problem.
As far as daily Maldivian routines are concerned, yes Maldives I cry for you I also do have similar concerns as you, but to me it seems like your comments stem from ignorance and extreme xenophobia rather than any real understanding of the Maldivian people or any genuine concern for them. So if what comes out of your mouth is not going to help us understand anything better, please keep your comments to yourself! There is enough hatred and simplification in the world already, we do not need you to do the same! Thanks