Father and grandmother sentenced in newborn murder case

The Criminal Court has sentenced three individuals in connection with the death of a newborn child, including the child's father and grandmother.

The case involved a child born to a girl under the age of 18. Proceedings were conducted behind closed doors due to the involvement of a minor and allegations relating to child sexual abuse.

Although the court has not published the full judgment, details of the sentences were released through its sentencing records.

The state brought charges against Aishath Shaira, Mohamed Imthiyaz and Moosa Ahsam.

According to the court record, Shaira was convicted of failing to report a known case of child sexual abuse and was sentenced to six months in prison.

Shaira and Imthiyaz were also convicted of acting as accessories to intentional murder. Both were sentenced to two years and six months in prison and ordered to perform Kaffarah by fasting for two consecutive months.

Ahsam, the father of the child, was convicted of intentional murder and sentenced to five years in prison.

After accounting for time already spent in detention, he has three years and seven months remaining on his sentence.

The court also ordered Ahsam to perform Kaffarah through two consecutive months of fasting.

The case centred on the death of a newborn child immediately after birth. The child was born out of wedlock to Shaira's underage daughter and Ahsam.

Because the proceedings involved a minor victim and allegations of sexual abuse, the court withheld details of the trial from the public and has not released the full judgment.