Male: A 15-year-old Maldives girl has been sentenced to 100 lashes for engaging in premarital sex. The girl, who was also raped by her step father but the punishment relates to a separate incident, prosecutors allege.
According to reports, last year, police began investigating allegations that a 15-year-old had been repeatedly raped by her stepfather and impregnated after a baby was found buried on the island of Feydhoo in Shaviyani Atoll, the BBC reports. However, charges were brought against the teenage girl for premarital sex unrelated to the alleged rape.
During questioning, the alleged rape victim reportedly admitted to having sex with another man, according to independent Maldives news organization, Minivan News. This man has not been identified, arrested or charged. Meanwhile, the stepfather is accused of killing the baby and faces 25 years in jail if convicted of rape and murder.
Zaima Nasheed, a spokesperson for the Maldives juvenile court, defended the punishment of 100 lashes and eight months house arrest, claiming the girl had “willingly committed an act outside of the law,” the BBC writes. She will receive the flogging when she turns 18, unless she requests it sooner.
Meanwhile, human rights groups have condemned the premarital sex charge against the 15-year-old.
The Maldives — an island nation located in the Indian Ocean — is a popular tourist destination, but the country has faced criticism for its Islamic fundamentalism and practice of Sharia law.
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