39-yo arrested following another child bride case

A 39-year-old man has been arrested following the surfacing of yet another child bride case in Fuvahmulah City.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) revealed that they have since begun probing the case.

Police revealed that they arrested the man under a court order on Sunday, after receiving reports of him having married a 15-year-old girl “out of court” and sexually assaulting the girl. Officers also arrested the child’s mother, 35, the same day under allegations of negligence.

Further, authorities have confirmed that the 39-year-old, also accused of supporting extremist ideologies, has a criminal record of sexual assault against minors.

Authorities have launched further investigations into the case.

This comes at a time several such cases have emerged from Maduvvari island of Raa atoll, in recent days. As such, two cases of 13-year-old child brides being raped and impregnated unfolded following with authorities began a special operation to seek out the community on the island, which has isolated itself from the society by supporting extremism, supporting terror groups and recruiting individuals to foreign conflicts. Said community also neglects women and children their educational as well as medical rights such as vaccination, are accused of keeping their women and daughters locked up indoors and consecutively marrying off their daughters at a young age.

Several arrests were made during the operation.