Ministry forwards framework on assessing high-risk families to Majlis
22 ޖެނުއަރީ 2020 | ބުދަ 13:38This comes following the emergence of a case involving two elders accused of sexually assaulting a two-year-old
People’s Majlis Committee on Human Rights and Gender
The Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has compiled a framework that is to be followed for the assessment of high-risk families and forwarded it to the People’s Majlis.
This was done in accordance to the decisions reached by the People’s Majlis Committee on Human Rights and Gender after the emergence of a case involving sexual assault against a toddler almost two-years of age from Kanduhulhudhoo island of Gaaf Alif atoll.
While the committee has begun investigations into the case, closely, the committee summoned Gender Ministry officials along with officials from Maldives Police Service (MPS) and Prosecutor General’s Office for questioning on Saturday, just a few days after the case unfolded last Thursday.
Initially, the committee gave the ministry a seven-day period to begin monitoring families who put their children at risk.
Other decisions include giving relevant bodies a one-month period to resume the child protection database, ordering relevant bodies to begin reviewing and monitoring those released from courts and have a history of sexual assault, seeking to fast-track the witness protection law from the Attorney General’s Office, 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, giving island institutions to seek out those with a record of child sex offense and beginning to monitor them within 30 days, and giving the gender ministry a 30-day period to complete an audit of departments that take on child protection cases.
Committee 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.
The committee decisions will be forwarded to the Speaker of Parliament, Mohamed Nasheed, after which they will be implemented.
During a press conference held on Saturday, police confirmed that two out of the three men arrested, believed to be the 82-year-old great grandfather and 62-year-old grandfather, are accused of sexually abusing the two-year-old while the 33-year-old father is accused of negligence.
