The parents of the 13-year-old child bride who gave birth in Maduvvari island of Raa atoll after being raped and impregnated by a man, have been arrested for negligence.

Media official at the Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that they received the report of the family with extremist ideologies, stripping their children’s rights as well as refusing to vaccinate them among many other complaints of negligence, following which an investigation was launched.

They have since provided shelter for six children who were subject to abuse in the family.

The parents were arrested under a court order on Tuesday, revealed police. Arrested were a 36-year-old woman and a 47-year-old man.

Reports of the 13-year-old child bride being raped and impregnated by a man, Ismail Hammadh surfaced during November and met with public outrage. He was attacked by crew members on board a sea-cucumber fishing boat over an ideological disagreement on 22 November.

DNA reports have proven that the child is his. The rapist has since been remanded by 15 days.