Man given 15-year sentence for 12 years of sexual child abuse

An unnamed individual from Laamu atoll was sentenced by the High Court, to 15 years in prison, after being found guilty of sexually abusing a child over the span of 12 years.

The person was convicted of sexually abusing their niece on multiple occasions between 2009 and October of 2021. A magistrate court previously acquitted the individual of sexually assaulting a child while being in a trusted position, prompting the case to be appealed at the High Court.

In it's ruling yesterday, the High Court found that the child had told her brother that the accused individual had touched her inappropriately while she was asleep, and that she was also shown pornographic video material by the same individual. The ruling also detailed that although the child first reported being sexually assaulted in 2009 after many years, the child recounted the sexual abuse that took place in October 2021 without any contradictions.

According to the judgement, although the individual's wife and several other people testified in his defence, their testimonies did not have any supporting evidence, and as such, had to be dismissed. It was also revealed that there was corroborating evidence to support the child's statements, including that of psychological harm caused to the child as a result of the abuse.

As such, the three judges on the High Court's bench unanimously quashed the magistrate court's acquittal of the individual, and issued a 15 year prison sentence.

However, accounting for time already served in remand, only 14 years remain to be served.

The case was reviewed by High Court judges Mohamed Faisal, Fathimath Faruheeza and Mohamed Niyaz, with Faisal as presiding Judge.