The Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) has highlighted the increased vulnerability of women and girls with disabilities to various forms of violence in the country.
A majority of reported cases of mistreatment and abuse against children with disabilities in the past decade occurred between the ages of 5 and 15, according to the Human Rights Report 2022 released by HRCM. The report also revealed that during the same period, the Maldives Police Service (MPS) received 28 reported cases of abuse involving children with disabilities. Additionally, numerous cases of sexual assault were reported, with a significant portion targeting children aged 5 to 15.
Various forms of violence against women with disabilities include domestic violence, forced prostitution, non-consensual pornography, cybercrimes, and scams. The report indicated that between 2014 and 2021, 55.6% of the cases reported to MPS were sexual assault cases, 24.6% were physical abuse cases, 13.3% were emotional abuse cases, and 18.7% involved other forms of maltreatment.
Furthermore, the report revealed that from January 2021 to August 2022, the Family Protection Authority (FPA) received reports of 37 cases of domestic violence involving individuals with disabilities, of which 62 cases were related to domestic violence against women with disabilities.
HRCM acknowledged the challenges faced in addressing reported cases of abuse against persons with disabilities. They highlighted the lack of trained personnel within enforcement agencies to handle individuals with disabilities. Additionally, HRCM identified barriers to reporting, such as communication difficulties, challenges in filing reports, and limited awareness of available reporting channels, as reasons for the low reporting rate among individuals with disabilities.