High Court rules circumstantial evidence sufficient proof for child sexual offences
13 Sep 2012, 3:50 PM
Mariyath Mohamed
The High Court has ruled that in cases concerning sexual offences against children where there is not sufficient evidence as specified in the law, the offence can be proven in court based on circumstantial evidence.
The unanimous ruling was passed by a panel of three judges who presiding over an appeal lodged by a defendant, who had been sentenced to 10 years in jail by the Baa Atoll Fehendhoo Magistrate Court on charges of sexual abuse involving a child.
Act number 12/2009, detailing special actions to be taken in cases of sexual offenses against children, states that a minimum of 5 out of 12 types of evidence specified in Article 47 must be presented for the crime to be proven in court.
An official of the Baa Atoll Fehendhoo Magistrate Court told Minivan News that the case had been concluded by the court on June 21, 2011.
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