The girl, at the age of 16, was investigated by police and the child rights ministry in 2006 for allegedly giving birth outside wedlock and murdering the infant. What the authorities knew but never officially acknowledged was that the child had been sexually abused by her own father for years before she got pregnant. They also know that the father was party to the infanticide. Although the state had an obligation under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child CRC, to which it was a signatory, to protect the child, both the police and the child rights ministry chose to wash its hand off the case and send victim back to her abuser.
The authorities initially housed her in the orphans home on Vilingili, but child protection officials said she was wanton and a murderer and would be a bad influence on the other children, and deprived her of state protection.
Now legally of age, the girl has given birth to another child allegedly again fathered by her own father. A headline in the mainstream media reflects society's attitudes: "Woman who had and murdered an illegitimate child gets pregnant again". Not surprisingly conservative hardliners are secretly calling for her to be prosecuted for sexual misconduct and infanticide, as a lesson for other "easy" women.
This young woman is the result of the failure of Gayoom's government to protect its young people and the gross neglect and heartlessness of the social services, most of who are still in the payroll of the child protection department of the health ministry.
If this woman is flogged and sentenced as hardliners want, it will also reflect the failure of Anni's government to protect victims of child abuse.
It's looking increasingly unlikely that parliament and politicians will take an interest in this case, but the public can and should make it known to the authorities that they will not tolerate further abuse of this young woman.
Aishath Mohamed Didi failed to protect the young woman, but we should make sure that Aminath Jameel does a better job.
6 comments:
Is this what we have become! Is this Maldivian mentality? The flog and the sentence should be given to the bloody father. WTF.
What kind of Law we have.. oh i forgot. Sharia Law (supported version atleast)..
Religion is a virus of the mind. So what do you expect to happen in a country like Maldives which believe in religion?
I was having a discussion with my Manager who happens to be a Christian (but more of non-believer) about modern science and the scriptures which lots of schollars boast abt.. Quran says, allah will recollect the borns of the dead perfectly even to the tip of their fingures. now the schollars says this is talking abt unique finger prints of each human being.. we are disagreeing to some schollars interpretations.. and then there comes my Deeply religious Moslem friend. He says, are you mocking the schollars. I said no, but its just not how it is.. No scripture specifically talked about modern science discoveries.. He says, NO there are verses in Quran abt finger prints! i said no! He then gives his final word. "YOU ARE GOING TOO FAR".. now should i be scared.. he thinks he controls others thinking feculties as well? He says i canot talk like that and then the silent treatment for the rest of the day..
THis is the mentality of Religious ppl.. no reasoning, very dominating and arrogant.
Anyway, He says, they all prayed asking for rain after the friday prayer. Now its thundering and it seems its gonna rain.. I wish they had prayed before:))
Im sure he will rattle the whole day now!! why it should rain, just after they finished praying?? They will say now its a miracle? How can it be? It would be miracle if it rained Bananas eh!! but rain water is a natural thing!!!
(SORRY ITS TOTALLY OFF THE TOPIC)
anon above, maybe you could try to stick to the topic? and write in dhivehi next time if that can get ur point across more easily.
Please provide any info you know and mail me these. I'm going to do something about this.
DNA evidence can prove if the child is the fathers. tell her lawyer to do that.
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