A Vulture Molests our Children: The Discovery of a Paedophilia Ring stab the Hearts of Maldivians

In the past few years we have seen the emergence of democracy in this nation and we have seen political parties battle for power , we have seen street demonstrations and voices, silenced for generations, speak up for their rights. Yet, amidst all this we failed to see this one man, who was sitting in the heart of Maldives, abusing the most vulnerable and helpless children of our nation.
Bang on, he knew what the kids wanted, how to approach them and also how to keep it a secret for years. He dared to take advantage of a society whose social fabric was decaying. This man was abusing children as young as 10, possibly for years by ‘enticing them with money, video-games and alcohol’ and no one had a clue until now. The investigation of another crime led to something even more sinister.

So many questions are on our minds at this juncture. Who are these kids? Where were their parents? Were they not in school? Why is it that these kids did not speak up all these years? Was there no one they could take into confidence and disclose?Perhaps many people would like to know these answers, because these are just some of the questions that are chuckling at our conscience right now. But my question is, “Are we really surprised that things have come to this?”

Just for a moment, let us imagine the condition of many homes in Male’. How safe are they from vultures such as this man? Have you ever wondered about the number of kids who do not have enough living space inside their homes, that after returning from school, they are forced to spend the rest of the day playing on the streets?
Further, this is a society so greatly divided between the rich and poor, the gaps between the two are subtle but apparent. Some kids have Nintendo DS, Wii and PS3 play stations etc; and there are others whose parents slog between 2 or 3 jobs just to afford shelter and food for their kids.

And these kids are out on the streets, alone while the parents struggle between jobs. Perhaps, for many parents it is not possible to buy them those little goodies and gifts children often crave to have. So, this man had the audacity to identify vulnerable kids and offer them money and satiate their curiosity while he sexually molested them and introduced them to alcohol paving way for a lifetime of further abuse.
No one probably expected that the recent seizure of the alcohol shipment in the country will lead to the discovery of this paedophile ring, which as reported may be connected to international child pornography groups too.

Often in our society when an abuse case is reported, people like to point fingers at the parents and find fault with their parenting.

I think we must not do so this time. Let us behave differently this time, because it is perhaps time for us to take collective responsibility for failing to protect the future generations of this nation.
This is the country which united under ‘Wathan edhey gothah’ , a political awakening and fought to bring a new dawn of democracy to this nation.
The same country is now crying out for a wider social awakening which must aim to root out those structures which are destroying this society.
Those who are attempting to climb off the ladder of poverty and reach affluence by the sale of drugs, alcohol, by abuse of our children, must be brought to face justice and pay the price for committing such crimes. We must have zero tolerance towards criminals of any form, those who are leading such organised crimes and those who are doing their dirty work in the forefront must be exposed and given the necessary punishment as stated by the law.

At the same time we must use this moment to reflect on the social issues that challenge the country.
For how long will parents and children co-habit in 12’ by 8’ rooms, have the streets as their living rooms, beg for little luxuries of life and compromise their virtues and morals to exist competently with the rich and the affluent?

Money has been spent on campaigns in Maldives to protect children and their rights. Perhaps it is also time for those involved in these programs to once again question why this happened and implement mechanisms that will help protect our children from vultures such as this 38 year old criminal.

We failed this time, with these children but let us hope this does not happen again. Let us hope we can help these children to heal the deep stabs inflicted by this despicable man. The crime he committed against these 35 (or more!!) children has created a deep wound in our conscience and we must find the time and heart to think and act such that no person will ever dare do something of this nature ever again in our country.