Presidential Commission established to investigate Child Rights Violations

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has officially established the “Presidential Commission to Inquire into Child Rights Violations” on Friday.

According to a press statement released by the President's Office, the commission was established under Presidential Decree 1/2020 and as per article 115 of the constitution in order to speed-up systematic efforts to rectify past injustices and ensure the protection of child rights.

The Commission's mandates consist of investigating and assessing the present situation of all cases being handled by state parties and institutions tasked with the protection of children, including all cases of violence, neglect, abuse, exploitation and cruelty.

The Commission is also tasked with identifying and analysing the root causes of child abuse in the country, in addition to other factors such as motives, areas of prevalence, age groups of perpetrators, socio-economic factors, crime rates, susceptibility to violence, the present situation of victims and accountability of state institutions in undertaking their responsibility.

The President's Office further states that the commission was established with the objective of assisting relevant authorities in taking the necessary action against child abuse perpetrators by examining and recommending corrective measures to fix systematic failures, implementing measures to safeguard protection for children.

Moreover, the commission is responsible for collecting information, analysing and reporting all child rights violations as well as making efforts to convict perpetrators.

As such, the President has appointed five members to the Commission. They are; Dr Aafiya Ali – President of the Commission, Dr Abdul Malik, Abdulla Rabiu, Maziya Abdul Sattar and Nicholas Richard Cowdery - an expert in the field of human rights and law who currently co-chairs the Human Rights Institute.

The President's Office also revealed that the commission is set to submit a detailed report on child rights violations to the President, which will include legal measures for the protection of child rights and recommendations for effective execution.

While President Solih ratified the Child Rights Protection Act on 20th November 2019, the act officially came into effect on Friday.

The amended act includes providing assistance and support for children who need social protection, alongside setting responsibilities for government institutions regarding taking children in as well as foster regulations and setting appropriate measures to be taken against those found negligent in child-related cases.