Majlis committee gives ministry 7 days to begin monitoring high-risk families

People’s Majlis Committee on Human Rights and Gender has decided to give the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services a seven-day period to begin monitoring families who put their children at risk.

With the emergence of a case involving sexual assault against a toddler almost two-years of age in Kanduhulhudhoo island of Gaaf Alif atoll, the parliament committee has begun stringent probes into the case. As such, although the 19th Parliament is currently in recess, the gender committee has been holding emergency meetings since the case made the spotlight this past weekend.

The committee summoned officials from the Gender Ministry, Maldives Police Service (MPS) and the Prosecutor General’s Office for questioning, including the council of Kanduhulhudhoo. Reports have it that the entire island community kept silent despite being in the know of the heinous crime.

During the meeting on Sunday, all members present at the committee decided on the importance of enhancing cooperation between relevant bodies in order to curb such crimes and to establish a system that will allow easier transactions between relevant bodies.

While a database is also required to be established, committee members deliberated the importance of monitoring families that have children who are subject to have their rights violated.

Further, members stressed that the repeating pattern of such cases are prompted by similar cases being long drawn-out at courts without charges being raised and action being taken.

During Sunday’s meeting, the committee reached a few other decisions as well;

1. Giving relevant bodies a one-month period to resume the child protection database,

2. Ordering relevant bodies to begin reviewing and monitoring those released from courts and have a history of sexual assault,

3. Seeking to fast-track the witness protection law from the Attorney General’s Office,

4. Seeking a report on ways through which such cases may be fast-tracked through the judiciary and seeking amendments if required to mandate courts to complete trials into such cases within a given timeline,

5. Giving island institutions to seek out those with a record of child sex offense and beginning to monitor them within 30 days, and

6. Giving the gender ministry a 30-day period to complete an audit of departments that take on child protection cases.

The committee decisions will be forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, after which they will be implemented.

Parliament via a statement assured the public that such cases involving children will be “thoroughly” reviewed and all involved in such cases will be brought to justice. It added that the People’s Majlis will do everything necessary to protect children and their rights “without hesitation.”

During a press conference held on Saturday, police confirmed that two out of the three men arrested, believed to be the great grandfather and grandfather, are accused of sexually abusing the two-year-old while the 33-year-old father is accused of negligence.