WUNRN
MALDIVES - AGE 15 GIRL
SENTENCED TO 100 LASHES FOR PREMARITAL SEX
February 28, 2013 - A 15-year-old Maldives girl who was repeatedly raped by her stepfather is
now being sentenced to eight months of house arrest and 100 lashes, after she
confessed to having premarital sex with another man.
The girl is deeply traumatized by her
stepfather’s abuse, according to a report in the Independent. Her punishment
for sex with another man has generated a massive outcry across the globe — yet Maldives government officials say their hands
are tied and they can’t prevent the sentence from going forth, CNN said.
The country has strict premarital sex laws
that mandate floggings to violators.
“She has been sexually abused and at the same
time she has been charged with an offense,” said Abbas Faiz, a researcher with Amnesty International, quoted
by United Press International. “We are really outraged at this punishment.”
A Maldives official said she offered the girl the opportunity to be lashed now, or wait until she turned 18, according to one report.