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Editorial

Why can't the Dictator jail all convicted paedophiles?

Dhivehi Observer, 10 February 2008

Our country has its fair share of problems from drug abuse to rampant gang violence. However, one of the most tragic evils facing our society today is the increase of child abuse and the lenient way paedophiles are treated by this regime.

Physical or sexual abuse of children often go undetected and unreported in many societies mainly because the adult who abuse the child is very often someone the child knows and trusts - a family member, a childcare provider, a family friend, neighbour, a teacher, etc. In such a circumstances, it is very difficult for such cases to come to the forefront. Even in the rare instance, when such cases get reported, Dictator Gayoom has shown no interest in protecting this most vulnerable asset of our country. On the contrary, systematically, the abusers are treated with extreme leniency even when there is a major public outcry.

Let's take the notorious case of Naseem Sir (Soa), a teacher in Iskandar School, who raped several young girls over a period of time, all who were his students either in the school or who went for tuition to his house. When the news broke out the then Education Minister, Zahir Hussain went into denial. It was when one of the enraged dad's tried to beat up Naseem Soa that the police finally investigated the case. However, even after getting convicted what did really happen to this evil man? After a few years in banishment, where he was at his will to abuse the children on that particular island, he was pardoned by the Dictator and allowed to continue teaching children. God only knows how many more children he has been able to abuse since!

In 2006 a survey by the Gender Ministry found that one in six women reported as having been sexually abused as a child under 15. These are just statistics for girl children and therefore the abuse of boys is not even documented. While the government has been downplaying these issues (the Gender Minister stated that the incident of child abuse in the Maldives "is within the norm of other countries"), these innocent souls are left at the mercy of these vile people who continue to torment them day in and day out.

The recent case of the Kurendhoo Four is another case in point. When four men raped a 12 year old girl, the court found that the child had 'consented' to sex by "not protesting' and therefore sentenced the men to 8 months banishment. When there was a public outcry at this outrageous leniency, with criticisms from a local rights group, an online petition and a protest group on Facebook, the case was then referred to the high court. However, even the high court ruling has outraged the nation – the men were sentenced to be banished for 2 years! Just think of the plight of the children on those islands?

There have been several high profile cases over the years. Hamid Wajeeh, a former actor, was caught abusing children while being in charge of the government reformatory in Maafushi. After being convicted, he was sentenced to two years banishment of which he only served three months. He received a PRESIDENTIAL pardon! Recent cases of abuse include the one in Goidhoo, where a Quran teacher had been abusing children over a course of 10 years and nothing has been done about it. Other cases that have come to the forefront include those in Vaikaradhoo, Rathafandhoo and in Vilingili where a father was arrested on allegations of abusing his own daughter. And this is just the tip of the iceberg.

What is even more worrying is that the government seeks to brush off this abuse saying that in the Maldives there is a culture of silence and families tend to hide abuse due to the shame it could bring to them. This is just a pathetic excuse used by this regime. It is not that the families are reluctant to report such cases because of their shame but they are reluctant to do so because they know that this government will do nothing to mete out just punishments for the perpetrators. They do not report such cases because they have no faith in the justice system. They do not raise these matters because they know that the Dictator is a protector of paedophiles.

Why is he so soft on paedophiles? Could it be his own interest in young boys that is stopping him from acting against these vile creatures? It is well documented that his younger brother Abdulla Hameed likes young boys. Could it be that the Dictator himself is "fond" of them? One cannot help but wonder what happens to the young boys (mainly children of family friends) who are encouraged to visit the Presidential Palace and the Presidential retreat of Aarah? Many parents feel extremely uneasy about this unhealthy relationship that the Dictator has with these young boys but are too helpless to stop it for fear of repercussions from the Dictator.

However, we cannot afford to stay and watch while our young daughters and sons fall victim to abuse. We have to do something to protect the most vulnerable of our society. We cannot delay for tomorrow for the amendment to article 173 to reach the bench book. We cannot wait for tomorrow for the government to decide that children cannot give consent to sexual acts. We cannot linger around for the Dictator to make up his mind whether paedophiles should be banished or not. This is one issue that affects right across party lines. This is one matter that as human beings, we should be able to stand together, across the political divide, and demand that the government stop being soft on paedophiles; that ALL CONVICTED PAEDOPHILES BE JAILED FROM TODAY.

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