High Court acquits former MP Adil of sexual abuse charges

The High Court has acquitted former MP Hassan Adil of sexual abuse charges on Wednesday (May 28).

The Prosecutor General’s office charged the former MP for Maradhoo constituency with sexually abusing a 13 year old in 2011 – an offense that carries a 10 – 14 year jail term.

But the Criminal Court acquitted Adil in March 2012 citing lack of evidence. The trials were conducted behind closed doors to protect the families involved.

Two of the three judges on the High Court bench upheld the Criminal Court’s ruling, but Judge Abbas Shareef in a dissenting opinion said there was enough evidence to convict Adil.

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Man arrested for sexually abusing a child with disabilities

Police have arrested a man on charges of sexually abusing a 13 year old girl with disabilities.

The arrested man is a 25-year-old male – reportedly a friend of the victim’s family.

Both the victim and the arrested man are from the island of Gaafaru in Kaafu Atoll.

While confirming the arrest, police declined to provide further details on the case.

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Police arrest another two suspect in a growing series of child abuse reports

The Maldives Police Service (MPS) yesterday arrested two people suspected of sexually abusing children as the number of cases reported in recent weeks continues to grow.

The latest addition to a series of child abuse arrests in the past weeks saw a 38-year-old man accused of sexually abusing his three-year-old stepdaughter in Hulhudhoo, Seenu atoll.

He was arrested last night from the tourist resort in which he works.

A 51-year-old Indian migrant worker accused of sexually abusing an eleven-year-old boy was also arrested last night from Feeali, in Faafu atoll. Both cases are currently under investigation by the MPS.

While it has been suggested that the rise represents a greater willingness to report existing abuses, the Human Rights Commission (HRCM) has suggested child abuse is rising, urging parents to be more alert.

In the past few weeks, similar incidents across the country have seen police making a number of arrests for alleged abuses including child sex trafficking by a 45-year-old man, and the arrest seven men of age 18 -30 years arrested from Thinadhoo for forcing a 16 year old girl into prostitution

While the cause of this increase has yet to be established, it has been suggested that the current trend may simply reflect an increase in the number of cases being reported – previously, the discussion and reporting of such cases had been considered taboo in the Maldivian community.

Commenting on the issue, Vice President of the HRCM Ahmed Tholal said that the increasing number of child abuses cases is an issue the state should be taken very seriously.

“I believe it is not merely an increase in reporting, I think it is becoming more common. During our trips to twenty two islands around the country for our ongoing National Inquiry on Access to Education for Children with Disabilities , almost in all islands there were cases of physical, mental and sexual abuse of children,” said Tholal.

Other arrests have  included a 44-year-old man arrested for exposing himself to a twelve-year-old to whom he had shown pornography, and the case of a 29-year-old man arrested  from Rasdhoo for sexually abusing a thirteen year old girl.

45 year old man was arrested from Villimalé late last month for sexually abusing his one-year-old daughter and raping two stepdaughters under 12-years of age, while March also saw a 55-year-old man arrested  for abusing an 11-yearold girl.

A number of people have also been sentenced for child abuse during this period including a 78 year old man who was sentenced for ten years imprisonment by the Kulhudhufushi Magistrate court for sexually abusing a seven-year-old on multiple occasions.

An alarming number of child abuse cases have been reported in the past few years, supporting suggestions of widespread child prostitution across the country.

Stating that a special focus needs to be given to the issue, the HRCM’s Tholal said it is important to take a holistic approach in prevention of child abuse.

“Definitely more work needs to be done in many areas including awareness, research and legal protection. One very important thing is for parents to be more responsible in taking care of children,” he said.

“We need to address it legally as well by holding parents accountable for their neglect.”

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Police arrests man accused of sexual harassment of a minor

Police have announced that its branch in the island of Kulhudhuhfushi in Haa Dhaalu atoll has today arrested a 19 year old man accused of “forcefully committing illicit sexual acts” with a 15 year old girl.

Police stated that the man was arrested under a court warrant at 0940hrs this morning. Due to the status of the investigation, police have not yet revealed additional information regarding the case.

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Domestic fears of “inadequate” child protection linger as Maldives co-sponsors 22 UN rights resolutions

The Maldives has backed global resolutions outlining commitments on child protection, the environment, freedom of assembly and wider civil rights during the recently concluded 24th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).

However, one local NGO focused on the rights of children has questioned the Maldives domestic commitments to pursue legal reforms in areas such as the use of flogging and the treatment of victims of sexual abuse, expressing fears child protection commitments undertaken by successive governments still remain “inadequate”.

The same group has called for the state and parliament to press ahead with ratifying an optional UN optional protocol signed by Maldivian authorities last year said to pave the way for reforms of the treatment of sexual abuse victims in the country.  The optional protocol would allow for international intervention if all domestic legal avenues are exhausted, said the NGO.

The country’s treatment of victims of sexual offences has come under intense global scrutiny this year, with the High Court in August overturning a flogging sentence handed to a 15 year-old girl charged with ‘fornication’.

Campaigning for the case to be dropped received two million signatures globally as the minor – found guilty of having consensual sex – was later revealed to have been charged on the basis of information obtained during investigations that she had been sexually abused.

UNHRC concerns

Upon concluding the latest UNHRC session, the Foreign Ministry said the country has co-sponsored 22 resolutions and supported other focuses on civil and human rights, as well as “freedom of peaceful assembly” during the session, where it has served as Vice President representing the Asian Region of the Council for 2013.

“The Maldives actively engaged on resolutions, on issues related to gender equality and children’s rights, environment and water rights, technical assistance to member countries, and social, political, economic and civil rights, human rights situations in countries,” the ministry’s statement read.

According to the Foreign Ministry, the country also spoke on issues affecting Palestine, criticising what it called the systematic and gross violations by Israel towards the country’s citizens.

“Radical changes”

While the country was selected as a Vice President of the UNHRC for this year, the international rights body last year recommended authorities in the country enact “radical changes” to Maldivian law to ensure compliance with the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

The requested changes – made after former Home Minister Dr Mohamed Jameel Ahmed and State Minister for Foreign Affairs Dunya Maumoon defended the country’s record at the UNHRC in July 2012 – relate to matters of  freedom of religion and belief, and reforming the country’s judiciary.

Earlier this year, the present government committed itself to review local laws and enact potential reforms of the use of flogging, although no time-line for enacting such amendments has been confirmed beyond the commitment to hold talks.

Local NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) told Minivan News that it had been invited among a number of other organisations to submit input at the time to a specially-formed presidential committee to review legal amendments.

“However, ARC does not sit on the committee which comprises of government ministries,” stated the NGO. “Therefore, the role of the NGOs is quite limited in this process and we are also not kept in the loop on the developments.”

ARC added that with authorities yet to share their report, the status of which remains unknown, it was not possible to comment on possible outcome of proposed reform efforts.

Minivan News was awaiting a response from the government committee’s secretariat at time of press concerning the present status of the government’s reforms.

Child protection

Earlier this year, ARC expressed concern that child protection measures currently in place in the country were “inadequate”, requiring provisions outlined in the Optional Protocol on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) to be adopted into law. The Maldives ratified the CRC in 1991.

Once ratified, the CRC optional protocol is said to allow an individual, group or representative of a child victim of abuse to submit complaints to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child for legal assistance is domestic assistance is not forthcoming.

“The Optional Protocol should always be used as a last resort, and while the Maldives has signed it in early 2012, we believe it is extremely important to ratify this optional protocol at an early date, because one of its key goals is to encourage governments to create good options and solutions for children at the national level,” ARC told Minivan News this week.

“Most governments would prefer to not have a local issue go to an international committee for review, so we think it will undoubtedly encourage governments to create and improve existing services and support for children.”

The NGO claimed that after signing the convention on February 28, 2012, the Maldives was still yet to ratify it, with the government saying that a decision would be taken within the cabinet after a new president is signed in on November 11, 2013.

Gender Minister Dr Aamal Ali told Minivan News this week that she was “not able to [give] sufficient insight” into the status of the government’s reform efforts, adding that the optional protocol was set to be discussed in cabinet at a later date.

Correction:  An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Maldives had ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) last year. The CRC has been ratified by the country in 1991. The error has now been corrected.

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HRCM claims mandate pushed to limit over 15 year-old’s flogging sentence

The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has said its mandate has been pushed to the limit after “braving” the country’s courts to oppose a controversial flogging sentence handed to a 15 year-old sexual abuse victim that was overturned this week.

The flogging sentence handed to the minor by the Juvenile Court in February was  overturned by the High Court yesterday (August 21) after the girl denied confessing to having had consensual sex with an unknown partner.

HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud said that the decision to punish the minor, which has since garnered global media attention, represented a “continuous failure” on behalf of the whole state to protect children and other victims of sexual abuse.

She therefore called on all stakeholders to strengthen their internal mechanisms for protecting vulnerable people in the country.

“Lots of money has been invested, but we have failed to uphold a system,” said Jeehan. “There must be a better translation into reality. We need to ensure that the group works for all cases – rather than the one or two that gain international attention.”

Jeehan said that as part of efforts to appeal the flogging sentence handed to the minor, the HRCM had adopted what she called an unprecedented tactic of “braving the courts” as a third party by directly approaching the judiciary.

“We required permission from the courts,” said Jeehan. “This was a groundbreaking opportunity…we pushed our mandate to its limits.”

Authorities had previously said that the minor had confessed to having consensual sex during a separate investigation into her alleged abuse that had resulted in the birth – and subsequent murder – of her baby.

On the back of the High Court’s ruling yesterday (August 21), Amnesty International – which has previously warned that the 15 year-old’s case was the “tip of the iceberg” in terms of the country’s treatment of victims of sexual offences – has released a statement welcoming the decision.

“Annulling this sentence was of course the right thing to do. We are relieved that the girl will be spared this inhumane ‘punishment’ based on an outrageous conviction,” said Amnesty’s Deputy Asia-Pacific Director Polly Truscott.

Amnesty went on to argue that the sentence ought not to have been imposed in the first place, before calling for a moratorium on flogging.

Despite the moratorium calls, President Dr Mohamed Waheed defended the wider use of Islamic Sharia in the country’s courts, while expressing his satisfaction with the High Court verdict this week.

“I also note that [the] verdict has established beyond doubt the sound principles of Islamic Shariah for such cases and became part of the country’s legal framework,” said the president in a statement.

“Considering the state of the country today, with sexual violence against women and children increasing daily, it is essential for the criminal justice system to ensure that women and children do not become prey to further abuse. I believe that establishing procedures necessary for the legal framework to protect such children is a welcome development to ensure that such tragic incidents do not repeat.”

Waheed added that he saw the decision as “major progress” in the protection of children’s rights. He concluded by saying that the child was still under the state’s care.

“The state will continue to provide the assistance she needs to overcome the tragic ordeals she endured and live a happy life in our society.”

Attorney General (AG) Azima Shukhoor echoed President Waheed’s comments today, arguing that Islamic Sharia is perfectly well-equipped to protect the rights of children.

The AG also spoke of an online Avaaz petition calling for both the minor’s sentence to be overturned as well as an end to flogging, criticising those she said had “politicised” the issue, arguing that they had made the work of Maldivian authorities difficult.

The online petition was signed by over 2 million people – a group more than six times the population of the Maldives.

The Maldivian judicial system currently practices a combination of common law and Islamic Sharia. Article 142 of the country’s constitution mandates that any matter on which the constitution or the law is silent must be considered according sharia.

Maldivian civil society group Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) meanwhile has continued to press the government for ratification of the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on a Communications Procedure.

This protocol provides an additional avenue of complaint should the state fail to uphold the rights of a child, which ARC mantain would greatly improve upon current domestic mechanisms.

“The case of the 15- year old girl is a good example of how the procedure could have been used to approach the UN Committee,” the group’s co-founder Zenysha Shaheed Zaki told Minivan News.

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Maldives facing widespread child prostitution, sexual abuse: clinical psychologist

Additional reporting by Ahmed Naish

Child prostitution in Laamu Atoll has become so “common” the underage victims of such crimes consider it “normal”, a private clinical psychologist has revealed to Minivan News.

The practice, believed by multiple sources interviewed by Minivan News to be prevalent across the Maldives, ranges from male benefactors grooming children with ‘gifts’ to parents actively selling the sexual services of their children – some as young as 12.

Acknowledgement of “systemic” child sexual abuse in the Maldives, particularly prostitution, remains highly taboo, with few government institutions willing to confront the problem.

Minister of Gender, Family and Human Rights Azima Shukoor made the first official acknowledgement of the practice in a statement to mark Children’s Day on May 10.

“The abuse of children is on the rise. Children being used as sex workers, where the children are sent to places as a means to pleasure people and to gain an income from such a trade. This is being practiced in the Maldives today. Both boys and girls are being used in this trade,” she stated.

Consultant Clinical Psychologist Maldives Institute for Psychological Services, Training & Research (MIPSTAR), Dr Aishath Ali Naaz, conducts psychological profiling of sexual abuse victims, as well as preventative awareness workshops, and recently completed a study focusing on Laamu Atoll.

She explained that child prostitution has become so common among minors that it is considered a normal activity, with victims even boasting about their sexual exploits at school.

“When many people do something it’s not [considered] wrong anymore. In some atolls I’ve seen this, especially in Laamu Atoll. It’s not accepted by the whole population but [it is] among the young people,” she told Minivan News.

“The children say in class ‘So you do it, you do it too, and so on, so what’s the big deal?’” Dr Naaz explained. “Some children have accepted this as something normal and as a way of life.”

Child prostitution is considered a type of sexual abuse because victims are minors under 18 years-old.

“It’s not just incest, which is happening, because in my practice I have come across cases of close relatives [who] have pushed children into prostitution,” Dr Naaz said. “Children as young as 12 or 13 years-old have been forced to partake in sexual activities,” explained Dr Naaz.

“This is sexual abuse, but people are not aware that there is sometimes monetary gain for somebody,” she added.

“Child prostitution is happening in a very subtle way. Most of the time there is an adult who is pushing the child; it may be a parent or a relative who is pimping the child,” said Dr Naaz.

Hidden in plain sight

Two cases of child prostitution in Laamu Atoll have been reported to police so far in 2012, a police source familiar with the incidents told Minivan News, on condition of anonymity.

The cases were “isolated, very difficult to [investigate]”, and there did not appear to be gang involvement or organised child prostitution ‘rings’, the source explained. The victims of child prostitution in the atoll were “typically 16 or 17 years-old”.

An island council official in Laamu Atoll told Minivan News child prostitution was resorted to by the “poorest of the poor” as a means to earn money to “fulfill basic needs of living.”

Child sexual abuse and incest occurring within some families has led to the practice being passed down through multiple generations, a civil society source researching the matter explained to Minivan News.

This history of sexual abuse has been exacerbated by overcrowding in homes following relocations after the 2004 tsunami, which in combination with severe economic hardship has led to the exploitation of children via prostitution.

During a visit to Laamu Atoll, Minivan News spoke to 51 year-old former atoll chief Abdul Wahhab Abdulla about the practice in the atoll.

Wahhab served as island chief of Gan for 25 years, atoll chief from 2008 to 2010, and was director general at the national administrative office of the South Central Province from 2011 to March 2012. He was subsequently demoted to island council director after March 2012.

Reported cases of child prostitution in the atoll were “very rare”, Wahhab said, “perhaps one case a year.”

There have been cases of middle aged or elderly men providing financial support to young girls for basic necessities “and then taking advantage of the position [of benefactor],” he explained.

“It is less child prostitution than sexual abuse,” he  continued. “I think it started after the tsunami after affected people from Mundhoo and Kalaidhoo [islands] migrated here.”

There were about four such cases of sexual abuse reported a year, he said.

In the past, Wahhab explained, island communities were smaller and people knew each other very well, making it difficult to hide crimes such as prostitution.

Reported cases typically involved low income families “with four or five children”, he said, with adolescent girls aged 16-17 often targeted.

“The children have basic needs that are not being fulfilled, so the elderly man will first gain the child’s trust with small gifts,” he explained.

“At that point he becomes her benefactor. Then he gets closer and tries to take advantage of the girl. And the girl does not have the capacity or courage to resist,” he said.

The gender department and police child and family protection services had attended to reported cases promptly, he added.

Atoll sex behaviour survey suppressed

In 2010, the gender department conducted a biological behaviour survey in Laamu Atoll focusing on child sexual abuse, homosexuality and drug use, explained the former atoll chief.

The results of the survey – which were never made public – suggested that the incidence of child abuse and homosexuality were much higher than previously expected, according to Wahhab.

The survey did not distinguish that child prostitution was occurring in Laamu Atoll at the time, he added.

Systemic exploitation nationwide

While children prostitution is more pronounced in some atolls than others, it is “a systemic problem” across the country and remains “a very, very hidden activity,” Dr Naaz explained.

The almost 10,000 participants of her sexual abuse and violence prevention workshops over the past two years had expressed particular concern that child sexual abuse, including child prostitution – is “a common problem”.

Communities from the far north to the south of the Maldives – including Male’, Haa Dhaal, Raa, Lhaviyani, and Addu Atolls – have also been affected, she said.

“People quite frequently talk about child sexual abuse, but we are not comfortable facing the finer details of this reality,” said Dr Naaz.

It was a misconception to think that Maldivians were not involved in the child sex trade, as it was “hidden and difficult to capture,” she said.

“There are people who are using young Maldivian girls in this trade, but it may not be happening at a guest house,” she explained.

Instead, this sexual exploitation occurs “more on [the victim’s] own familiar ground, in rooms and houses”, making it difficult for the authorities to identify cases, collect evidence and intervene.

The involvement of young boys in child prostitution “cannot be ruled out”, however the practice “may be even more hidden”, she added.

Children are being forced to cater to both Maldivians and expatriate workers, she said, however the rates varied with Maldivians paying upwards of MVR 700 (US$45.60) while foreigners such as Bangladeshi labourers paid MVR 150 (US$9.77) “for sexual everything”, explained Dr Naaz.

“These girls have described that the people who pay for sex with them are often very young – 21 to 25 years-old – but sometimes include elderly people,” she continued, noting that the practice had increased in the past decade.

Sophisticated industry in Male’

In the capital Male’, child prostitution has reached a “sophisticated level” and encompasses different types of sexual abuse, explained Dr Naaz, with an even split between families pimping out their children for economic gain versus gangs facilitating the trade for girls suffering from substance abuse problems.

Rather than being gang-led phenomenon, families struggling to make ends meet and economic hardship had led to the rise of a generally ad hoc child sex industry.

“There are instances where family members may hire a room for rent, keep the children in there, and then use them to generate money through sexual activity so they can support their stay in Male’,” explained Dr Naaz.

“Many times the parent, uncle or sibling may be involved in drug abuse and in order to get money they introduce the children to the trade,” said Dr Naaz. “On the other hand, you have people deliberately using and recruiting young girls into this and involving them in sex.”

“Sometimes – and I don’t want to put the on blame them, because it’s not every gang – there are youth groups who may keep a few girls whom they pimp.”

She also highlighted instances of mentally disabled children being abused for sexual activities by adults.

“They’re vulnerable so they’re not able to protect themselves,” she said.

Other cases were said to involve groups of women renting rooms in Male’ and “recruiting vulnerable young people who may not have their parents [in the city],” she explained. In some cases,  young girls with intellectual impairments “are taken in by these groups of women.”

She identified a “gradual process” of minors being “groomed” by adults via the internet and/or social media, with children taken to known “spots” and introduced to those involved in the sex trade.

In other instances, the minors are pushed to provide nude photos, and then emotionally blackmailed with threats that the pictures will be posted on the web, and ultimately recruited into prostitution.

“In Male’, there have [also] been instances where a parent gets angry and tells the child to get out on the street, with the child picked up by somebody [because they are] in a helpless state,” said Dr Naaz. “Then they are taken to a guest house and used for prostitution, group sex and things like that.”

A school health counselor in Male’, who claimed to have encountered numerous cases of child prostitution, said poverty was one of the root causes of the abuse in Male.

“Mostly cases involve single parents – mums and dads – who come from the islands and try to survive in Male’,” said the counselor. “Cases where the mom lives in a guest house and facilitates prostitution for the whole family are common in Male’.”

In one specific instance, a student in Grade 7 (aged 12-13) and her sister were earning money from prostitution and giving the earnings to the family, with the parent’s knowledge, the source said.

“Children are [also] trafficked to the islands from Male’. The gender ministry cannot do anything regarding the kids because this happens at the family level and at the school level. They have no authority to say anything and are neglecting the issue,” the source alleged.

A civil society source currently investigating the practice told Minivan News that underage girls were being “groomed” by “benefactors” in Male’ and then sexually abused by the same men, which included both Maldivians and foreign nationals. The source said it is common to see teenage or adolescent girls with older men who were trying to buy sexual favors at particular shops in Male’ at the beginning of the month, around payday.

After being lured into prostitution, the children were then taken by some men to neighboring countries to engage in sexual acts, added the source.

Generations of damage

Some of the children exploited by the sex trade seek help, but the condition they are in is “very very sad”, lamented Dr Naaz. “It’s unbelievable for the Maldives.”

“Sometimes they are psychotic, mentally retarded, and they are the victims of rape, gang rape, group sex… and the child feels ‘I have no choice but to be there’ because their intellectual capacity is not [developed enough] to address that. They don’t have the skills [to get out of the situation],” she explained.

Some children also showed symptoms of sexually transmitted diseases and were being advised to seek testing and treatment, she added.

A comprehensive study is needed to determine exactly how many children are affected by this type of sexual abuse, emphasised Dr Naaz.

“I don’t think we would be different from most other societies, but the exact percentage we should determine from good research that determines the root causes,” she said.

While the exact root causes behind child prostitution – and other forms of sexual abuse – in the Maldives still need to be determined, there are some factors in addition to economic hardship that may be contributing to the practice.

“Many times Maldivians are living in very crowded environments in households where they are exposed to adult sexual activities and children learn, children get to know,” Dr Naaz speculated. “So the environment in which we are living could be one factor.”

Furthermore, “in the Maldives girls start having boyfriends at a very young age, grade 5 or 6, which is quite early. It seems more like people are indulging in sexual activities at a very young age,” she explained. “Sometimes these boyfriends may be on drugs and these boys may also be recruiting the girls into sexual activities. Young girls need to be very careful so they don’t get pushed into this.”

Children’s rights violated

Children are not aware of their rights and are not being taught or given opportunities to develop the proper social skills to protect themselves from attempted sexual abuse, including child prostitution, multiple sources emphasised to Minivan News.

“Young people should know their body is theirs and that nobody has a right to violate it. No one – no one – can violate it and there are other ways to earn money,” said Dr Naaz.

“We have to tell young people it’s not alright if your aunt [or anyone] says ‘go to that room with this boy’. Children need to be taught that this is wrong, that these are their rights that are being violated,” she emphasised. “Sometimes children don’t know this, or that they have the right to report [abuse].”

“Parents have a huge role to play, we have to monitor where our children are going. If they’re missing for long hours, we need to know where they are, and whether someone is abusing the freedom their parents have given them,” she continued.

“The child is a minor, so they may not be able to say no if they get pushed into this,” she added.

A ‘Happy Star’ program, created by Dr Naaz, details how parents can communicate to their children – in a language appropriate to children – to improve awareness about the dangers of being lured or forced into child prostitution.

She emphasised that relevant programs must be developed to protect children and teach them about their rights.

“There is a general erosion of values. People don’t seem to know where to set their limits or draw the line. We need to get back to our old values,” she said.

“When a young boy is going to school saying ‘I can’t even say my mum is not doing it, my mum is sleeping with my friend’, that reflects an erosion of values,” she said.

The civil society source investigating the practice of prostitution among young people emphasised that parents and children are “not prepared to deal with these things”.

In addition to no effective sexual education taking place, “There is also no social education occurring and when children get older they rebel because they are not given the chance to be children – instead they are forced to take tuition from age four instead of having play time,” said the source.

“There are parents trying to bring up good kids, but the victims drag other children into their bad behavior,” the source continued.

“We are neglecting the issue, making it worse because no one is dealing with these things. Hiding the issue encourages the practice to continue,” the source declared.

“This has to come out and we have to think ‘out of the box’ to stop the root causes – not just do the same things over and over,” the source added.

Authorities, government uncooperative

The Maldives Police Service had not responded to an emailed series of questions at time of press.

Meanwhile, despite stating earlier this year that the abuse and neglect of children had reached “alarming levels“, the Gender Ministry failed to respond to multiple enquiries from Minivan News regarding child prostitution over the course of this investigation.

Further interviews arranged with relevant authorities in Laamu Atoll were curtailed by the Ministry in Male, with Minivan News ordered to submit a formal letter of enquiry to the office in Male’ requesting authorisation for its staff to speak.

Minivan News submitted such a letter to the Ministry on June 16 seeking “all relevant information regarding the occurrence of child prostitution” in Laamu Atoll and nationwide, as well as a copy of the Laamu Atoll survey conducted in 2010. At time of press, the Ministry had made no response.

Minivan News also contacted Minister of Gender, Family, and Human Rights Azima Shukoor, who did not respond to calls or text messages.

State Minister Dr Aishath Rameela was also not responding to calls at time of press. Minivan News attended her office to set up an appointment directly on Wednesday (June 19), but was informed by Dr Rameela’s secretary that she was unavailable for interview because she was “very busy”.

Victims or suspected victims of sexual abuse, including child prostitution, in Laamu Atoll, can reach the Hadhdhunmathi Family and Children Service Centre on Fonadhoo Island via 771-1721 ,or by calling the Maldives Police Services at 119.

Additionally, a 24 hour toll-free Maldives Child Helpline is available on 1412.

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Police arrest 48 year-old man for allegedly molesting 10 year-old girl

A 48 year-old man from Hoadedhdhoo Island in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll has been arrested for allegedly abusing a 10 year-old girl over a year and a half, reports local media.

The child’s mother had began to suspect “something was wrong”, a source from the island told local media. The victim, a fourth grade student, then told her how the man had molested her.

The Hoadedhdhoo Island Council told local media the man had been arrested and was in police custody on Thinadhoo Island in Gaafu Dhaal Atoll. Police are currently investigating the case.

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High Court appeal of 15 year-old rape victim’s sentence begins

The High Court appeal case for a 15 year-old rape victim sentenced to flogging and house arrest after she was found guilty of fornication began today (April 29).

The 15 year-old was convicted of premarital sex at the Juvenile Court on February 26 and sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months of house arrest, after confessing to fornication with another man. The confession was made during a separate investigation which was launched following the discovery of a dead baby buried in the outdoor shower area of her home.

The High Court trial that began today (April 29) was not open to the public, as the presiding judge exercised the authority to exclude the public “where the interest of juveniles or the victims of a crime so require”, as stated in Article 42 of the Constitution, according to local media.

High Court media official Ameen Faisal told local media that the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) had also intervened in the case.

The victim’s state-appointed attorney filed the appeal with the High Court on April 1.

At the time, former Attorney General Aishath Azima Shukoor told local media the case had to be appealed because the Juvenile Court had taken statements from the witnesses in violation of procedure.

Shukoor also said the Juvenile Court ruling was in violation of Islamic Sharia as it had not considered psychological reports produced to the court.

Additionally, the child’s defence claimed her testimony was taken in violation of constitution and the charges against her were filed in violation of criminal procedure.

Sources from the girl’s island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll previously told Minivan News that concerns had been raised by islanders since 2009 that the minor was allegedly the victim of sexual abuse not just by her stepfather, but an unidentified number of other men on the island.

In June 2012, the girl gave birth to a baby which was later discovered buried in the outdoor shower area of her home. Her stepfather was later charged with child sexual abuse, possession of pornographic materials and committing premeditated murder. Her mother was meanwhile charged with concealing a crime and failing to report child sexual abuse to the authorities.

Council heads and senior civil society figures have slammed the judiciary, state authorities and welfare groups over their systemic failure to protect the 15 year-old girl.

Sentencing controversy

The 15-year-old’s case has brought international attention to the Maldives’ legal system, including the launch of an online Avaaz.org petition signed by over two million people that has threatened to put pressure the tourism industry. The sentencing of the minor has also come under high-profile public criticism from British multi-billionaire Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin group of companies.

President Mohamed Waheed Hassan Manik’s government previously criticised the verdict, pledging earlier this year to review the use of flogging as a punishment for sexual offences – a practice it alleged in some cases actually serves to punish victims of rape and abuse.

Following the Juvenile Court’s ruling in February, Waheed stated on his official Twitter account: “I am saddened by the sentence of flogging handed to a minor. Govt will push for review of this position.”

However, the religious Adhaalath Party (AP) – which largely makes up the ranks of the Islamic Ministry and with which President Waheed’s Gaumee Ithiaad Party (GIP) entered into a coalition in March – endorsed the sentence.

“The purpose of penalties like these in Islamic Sharia is to maintain order in society and to save it from sinful acts. It is not at all an act of violence. We must turn a deaf ear to the international organisations which are calling to abolish these penalties, labeling them degrading and inhumane acts or torture,” read a statement from the party.

“If such sinful activities are to become this common, the society will break down and we may become deserving of divine wrath,” the Adhaalath Party stated.

Inadequate child protection measures

A Maldivian children’s rights NGO recently criticised child protection measures currently in place as “inadequate”, while urging government authorities to incorporate several key human rights obligations into domestic law.

NGO Advocating the Rights of Children (ARC) told Minivan News earlier this month that although the Maldives has signed and agreed to be legally bound by the provisions in the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and its Optional Protocols, the commitments have yet to be adopted into law.

ARC claimed that provisions outlined in the CRC had not been fully adopted by the state into domestic legislation, thereby limiting the promotion and protection of child rights.

“The recent case of a 15-year old girl, whose rights were violated and abused by her stepfather is a clear example of how domestic judicial and legal mechanisms failed to address and rectify the violation over a substantial period of time, at different levels,” ARC said.

“This is a situation where an individual complaint to the UN Committee could hold the government accountable even if the ‘domestic remedial system’, including judicial and legal mechanisms, fail to address the issue of abuse.

“Ratifying this optional protocol will help protect the rights of children as it could help reduce the number of cases in the Maldives where a lack of legislation, clarity and commitment to international human rights law allow serious injustices to proliferate,” ARC added.

Meanwhile, neglect and abuse of children were reported to have increased to an “alarming level“, compelling the the Maldives’ Ministry of Gender, Family and Human Rights to submit an amendment (April 7) that would transfer parental guardianship of children in cases of negligence.

Earlier this year, ARC called on the Maldivian government to pass legislation concerning the treatment of sexual abuse victims. The NGO also raised concerns over the potential impact on the state’s ability to prevent sexual offences following reductions to the state budget approved by parliament in December 2012.

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