A hearing has been scheduled for Tuesday regarding the case of a mother's brutal murder of her toddler.

The hearing is set to begin after a five-month hiatus.

Three-year-old Mohamed Ibthihaal's murder shook the nation after his body was found beaten to death inside his home in Rakeedhoo Island of Vaavu Atoll in January 2015.

Upon her arrest, Afiya was brought before a judge where she confessed to having commited the murder.

Following her confession, the state pressed first-degree murder charges.

Afiya also confessed to physically abusing her son. She said she strangled Ibthihaal in his sleep and continued to beat him up even as blood had started to ooze from his mouth. The strangulation was confirmed as the reason for his death by resident pediatrician at IGM Hospital Dr. Ahmed Nihan in court.

Afiya, who has a history of sexual abuse, suffers from severe depression and has high levels of anxiety which was triggered at the smallest of matters, according to several tests done by mental health expert, Dr Aishath Ali Naaz. She said no mental disorders were observed in the tests, but that she easily succumbs to fits of uncontrollable anger and often damaging the surroundings.

Dr Naaz had testified in court that Afiya has no record of mental disorders and that she murdered her son on her own accord. Dr Naaz added that Afiya had demonstrated how she murdered her son, using a doll in one of the sessions, in which Afiya showed her where she had struck and kicked him.

At the end of the assessment Afiya had burst into tears, pleading Dr Naaz to help others in society who have no control over their anger.

Afiya was sexually abused in her childhood and had conceived Ibthihaal out of the abuse.