The state on Wednesday raised official charges and forwarded to Criminal Court against Ismail Hammaadh of Maduvvari, Raa Atoll, accused of 'marrying' a 12-year-old girl and impregnating her.
The Maldivian constitution does not allow children under 18 to be married, and consummating an unlawful "marriage" to an underage child constitutes statutory rape.
The girl, now 13 years of age, was unlawfully "wedded" outside of court according to Police, Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services.
Further, DNA tests conducted on the child she bore, confirmed Hammadh's paternity.
The issue first surfaced following an attack on Hammaadh, who was assaulted and thrown overboard in a dispute with other individuals aboard a vessel. Reportedly, he was attacked after refusing to participate in a plan devised by the others on the boat. Although it is unclear which act he was supposed to partake in, sources confirm that, at the time, all persons aboard were religious extremists.
Previously, Police Superintendent Hassan Haneef stated that the case was reported in February, whilst investigating a family with radical views, that had deprived their children of education and other human rights. There are a total of seven minors in the family.
Although the matter was initially classified as a case of parental neglect, Superintendent Haneef stated that it was now being investigated as a matter of sexual abuse perpetrated against a child.
Police confirmed that the girl was impregnated while she was living with her family. Her parents, a 39-year-old woman and 47-year-old man, were arrested following a court-issued order over allegations of neglecting their six children, by refusing to vaccinate them and therefore depriving them of their right to education and healthcare.
The child and her infant were transferred to state care along with the rest of her siblings, on December 2.
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