A mental health expert on Monday testified at a Criminal Court hearing hat Afiya Mohamed Manik, mother of deceased Mohamed Ibthihal, had no psychotic disorders and that the murder of her child was carried out on her own accord.

Ibthihal was murdered in January 2015 in Rakeedhoo island in Vaavu Atoll.

The state had raised first degree murder charges on Afiya; she had acquiesced to the charges.

The hearings of the case began after an eight-month hiatus. In Monday’s hearing, Judge Muhthaz Fahmy said the hearings were on hiatus as a prosecution witness was out of town.

Dr. Aishath Ali Naaz had testified as a mental health expert. She had prepared the mental assessment reports on Afiya as well.

In her testimony, Dr. Naaz said interviews were carried out with Afiya as well as tests. She said a total of 11 tests were carried out Afiya to determine her mental health status.

As such, a report was prepared for Maldives Police Service (MPS) on April 26, 2015 to determine her mental and physical status. Depression tests were carried out on May 13, 2015 and July 6, 2015.

Dr. Naaz said the cut off level for depression was 20 but Afiya had recorded 38 on the scale. She also noted that high levels of anxiety were noted in Afiya as well. therefore, Dr. Naaz concluded that Afiya had suffered from intense depression.

She further noted that following Ibthihal’s death, Afiya was hesitant to meet people and her anxiety was easily triggered. She added that Afiya had preferred to be secluded. Dr. Naaz indicated that Afiya also had sexual trauma in her past.

Dr. Naaz added that Afiya was incapable of controlling her anger fits, preferring to use physical force to address the anger. She said Afiya’s recorded a score of 113 on the scale, while the cut off level was 80.

While she had high levels of anxiety and suffered from intense depression, no psychotic disorders were observed in the tests, said Dr. Naaz. Dr. Naaz arrived at the conclusion that Afiya had murdered her son on her own accord.

When questioned whether if she wished to say anything in connection to Dr. Naaz’s statement, Afiya had declined. Afiya had refused to appoint legal representation, citing that she wished to represent herself in Court.

Dr. Naaz further said during testing, Afiya had demonstrated how she murdered her son using a doll. In this part of the assessment, Afiya had shown where she had struck Ibthihal.

After the roleplay session, Dr. Naaz noted that Afiya had cried.