London: The Maldives government has said it is seeking to halt the public flogging of a 15-year-old girl who had been repeatedly raped by her step-father following outrage.
A court using Shariah law recently sentenced the teenager to receive 100 lashes after she was said to have confessed to having had consensual sex with another man.
According to the Independent, the ruling triggered much criticism and the suggestion from some observers that the move could damage the country’s reputation as a popular tourist spot.
Now, the government of President Mohammed Waheed Hassan said he was in talks with the courts, the attorney general and the Islamic ministry in an effort to “stop victims becoming victims of the law”.
According to the paper, it said it would support the teenager appeal the case.
The president’s spokesman, Masood Imad, said the government considered the teenager a victim of sexual abuse and wanted the sentence revoked.
ANI
