HRCM claims mandate pushed to limit over 15 year-old’s flogging sentence
22 Aug 2013, 6:39 PM
Daniel Bosley
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has said its mandate has been pushed to the limit after “braving” the country’s courts to oppose a controversial flogging sentence handed to a 15 year-old sexual abuse victim that was overturned this week.
The flogging sentence handed to the minor by the Juvenile Court in February was overturned by the High Court yesterday (August 21) after the girl denied confessing to having had consensual sex with an unknown partner.
HRCM member Jeehan Mahmoud said that the decision to punish the minor, which has since garnered global media attention, represented a “continuous failure” on behalf of the whole state to protect children and other victims of sexual abuse.
She therefore called on all stakeholders to strengthen their internal mechanisms for protecting vulnerable people in the country.
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