Child abuse charges sought against 11 former Kudakudhinge Hiyaa employees
The presidential Commission to Inquire into Child Rights Violations forwarded the case for prosecution on Monday
Kudakudhinge Hiyaa
Authorities are seeking charges against 11 former employees at the children’s state care facility, ‘Kudakudhinge Hiyaa’, over abuse allegations.
The presidential Commission to Inquire into Child Rights Violations, formed this year, forwarded the case for prosecution on Monday.
The commission said that it had noticed the 2017 case during an inquiry, where former employees “physically and mentally” abused the children at the care facility.
Noting that the matter was reported to the Maldives Police Service in 2018, the commission stressed that action is yet to be taken against any of those involved.
The Prosecutor General’s Office had issued an order back in October, requesting the police to expedite the investigation into the case.
Police, together with the inquiry commission, began work to complete the investigation, on October 12. An additional 24 testimonies were obtained including that of five children.
The inquiry commission said that an additional individual complicit in the matter was identified during this period.
While the case was forwarded for prosecution on Monday, the Prosecutor General’s Office has accepted it and begun work to raise charges against the perpetrators.
Parliament’s human rights and gender committee recently probed a case where employees at Kudakudhinge Hiya showed pornographic material to the children.
