With these issues on the rise with no solution being brought about and clear neglect showing on part of the authorities, the Sexual Offence Act of the Maldives is finally getting some much-needed reforms.
Source: Times of Addu
News regarding sexual harassment and assault have become extremely common in the Maldives. And the worst part is, the most recent cases of sexual harassment and abuse in the Maldives are never about a stranger doing the unthinkable to someone, it is often times family members, teachers and even friends.
Sexual offences, while they should not happen anywhere, are an issue in almost every single country around the globe. However, when such offences become so common in a country like the Maldives, it raises the question of whether any of us are safe outdoors or even in our own homes.
The issue of sexual offences is nothing new to the Maldives, but it is becoming evident that sexual predators have become so comfortable with the idea that they can get away with it as the rates of sexual offences keep increasing every year.
It is no secret that walking the streets of Male’ city is a nightmare, especially for women as catcalling, following and harassment, in general, have become so common on the streets of Male’ city that getting to your destination without anyone bothering you or invading your privacy has become extremely rare.
These issues have become so common to the point where the easiest thing to do is often to ignore the catcalling and harassment on the street– which does not provide any solution to the increasing problem, but if the authority will not help and talk back, will only get you into more trouble - what option is the youth of this country left with?
If numbers can help put things into perspective, the statistics released by the Gender Ministry in January 2022 show 20 cases of sexual abuse against children were reported along with 3 reports of children who were victims of harassment.
These are shockingly high numbers, especially for a small island nation such as the Maldives and if these numbers only indicate child victims, the number of adults who have gone through similar experiences might be even more. By the middle of this year, issues regarding sexual offences appear to only have gotten worse as statistics show that child victims of sexual abuse in May increased by 31 compared to the 20 cases reported in January.
Another thought that occurs with such discussions and statistics is how many cases go by every day unreported and how infrequently acts of sexual harassment/ assault are actually reported. With these issues on the rise with no solution being brought about and clear neglect showing on part of the authorities, the Sexual Offence Act of the Maldives is finally getting some much-needed amendment.
Amendment of the Sexual Offence Act
While this Act has existed for a long time in the Maldives, it is rare and almost unheard of for a victim of sexual offences to receive justice. These cases often go cold and are dismissed by the authorities and brushed under the rug by society in order to maintain a certain picture.
With the new amendment to the Act, according to the Department of Judicial Administration (DJA) victims can now claim damages in regard to the impact. The highest compensation highlighted in this new amendment is MVR 480,000 to MVR2.7 million to victims who report loss of sensation or movement from the limbs.
Secondly, MVR 1.9 million for victims who suffer psychiatric damages and MVR 297,000 to 1.9 million for victims who suffer the loss of movement from either side of their body.
While this might be a positive step towards acknowledging the severe damages that sexual offence victims suffer in the hands of a perpetrator, Maldives still has a long way to go when it comes to actually follow through with the cases and getting the victims the justice that they deserve.
While the amendment also demands sexual offence cases to be tried and concluded within six months, it is yet to see whether these changes and demands are followed through by the authorities and courts alike.
Even though these changes should have been brought about a long time ago, acknowledging the root cause of such issues and dealing with sexual predators from the get-go rather than waiting for their actions to gradually get worse is the actual first step that is being overlooked yet again.
Educating the mass and taking action from the very first act of violence is the only way of truly dealing with such issues, and the Maldivian education system as well as the justice system needs to do its part in acknowledging this and take action in order to create a safer future for the younger generation of this country.
