Court extends detention of child marriage victim's parents

The 13-year old victim of child marriage's parents detention has been extended by 10 days by the Criminal Court of Maldives.

The parents were arrested on December 10 and this is the second time their detainment has been extended.

The parents are accused of neglecting the rights of their children. The Criminal Court ordered the parents to be detained under the Criminal Procedure Code over reasons to believe that they might tamper with important evidence or intimidate witnesses in the case against them.

The child’s case hit the spotlight after it was reported by “Sun” that she had been “married” in an out of court marriage to a 26-year old man of extremist ideology who was attacked by crew member on a boat at sea in November following a dispute.

The child’s parents are also thought to harbor extremist ideology and are from R. Maduvvari, the island where a special police operation named “Asseyri” was commenced on December 18, 2019 to combat extremism and ensure the rights of the victims of such radical ideologies.

The 13-year old was pregnant from the out of court marriage and she recently gave birth, before she, her siblings and the child she bore from the illegitimate marriage were taken into state care.

The 26-year old man named Ismail Hammad was also later arrested after receiving treatment for his injuries from the altercation on the boat. He is accused of raping a minor and the Criminal Court ordered his detention for 15 days on December 15, 2019.