Registry of at-risk children presented to parliament

A registry of at-risk children has been presented to the parliament.

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's Human Rights and Gender Committee, on January 18th, instructed the relevant authorities to compile a registry of families who put their children at risk within seven days.

According to the Ministry of Gender, a registry of at-risk children has been compiled and a database between relevant authorities has been established, adding that both have been forwarded to the parliament within the given time period.

A total of six decisions was reached during the committee meeting. They are:

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.