Ministry Appeals for Protection of Child Privacy in Sexual Abuse Case

The Ministry of Health, Family and Social Support has issued a statement urging media outlets and social media platforms to refrain from publishing private information of children in a manner that could harm their reputation, following a case of alleged child sexual abuse. The ministry emphasized that disclosing such details infringes on the fundamental rights of the child, as outlined in Article 35 of the Constitution of the Maldives and the Children's Rights Protection Act (Law No. 19/2019). Under Article 33 of the act, it is illegal to disseminate identifying information of children, including names, addresses, and images, especially in cases involving crimes or other sensitive matters. The ministry called on all parties to uphold the legal and moral responsibility to protect children's best interests.