Maldives: a court in the Maldives has ordered a public flogging for a 16 year old girl who confessed to having premarital sex, in a ruling that Tuesday triggered widespread criticism from rights groups.
The unnamed teenager was convicted on her confession under sharial law after her family complained she has sex with a 29 year old man in July.
The man was given 10 years in jail during a court hearing on the remote Raa Atoll on Sunday.
A court official said the girl could refuse the flogging and would then instead be subjected only to eight months house arrest. should she agree, the lashing will be carried out when she reaches the age of 18.
The ruling came 10 months after UN human rights chief Navi Pillay urged the Maldives to stop publicly flogging women for having extra-marital or pre-marital sex.
Pillay noted during a visit that the Maldives had progressed in safeguarding the right of its 330,000 sunni Muslims, but more needed to be done to protet women. flogging, carried out with a cane, is normally handed down as a punishment by village chiefs who also act as local judges.
AFP