Children's Ombudsperson's Office has strongly condemned the circulation of a video in which a child was publicly defamed during an opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally in Male' last Thursday night.
In a statement, Children's Ombudsperson's Office expressed concern over the incident, emphasizing that the Maldivian Constitution guarantees children special protection and assistance from both their families and the State. The office also highlighted that while freedom of expression is protected under the Constitution, it must be exercised without violating Islamic principles or harming the dignity of others.
The statement further pointed out that the Child Rights Protection Act explicitly safeguards a child's reputation and that airing such content through a registered media outlet was unacceptable.
"Such acts against children can lead to a loss of self-confidence and serious psychological effects," the statement read.
Children's Ombudsperson's Office has called on society and relevant authorities to prevent similar incidents in the future and added that they are closely monitoring the situation.
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President's family to sue MDP over remarks about son
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