A domestic violence case enters the Maldivian justice system. At every stage, the system loses people. By the end, almost no one is left.
The Domestic Violence Prevention Act (2012) created the formal pathway: a survivor discloses, the Family Protection Authority assesses, the courts issue protection orders, police enforce, and prosecutors decide whether to charge. In theory, the system works. In practice, the attrition is catastrophic.
The DVPA does not criminalise domestic violence as a standalone offence. It creates a civil framework for protection orders. DV acts that constitute assault or battery are handled under the Penal Code. The "DV cases" tracked by FPA are civil complaint cases, not criminal charges.
Survivor discloses to an FPA caseworker, or is referred by a mandatory reporter — a health worker, teacher, police officer, or community member. Reports can also come through the 1421 family issues helpline or the 119 police emergency line.
This is the starting point. Every case that enters the formal system begins here.
FPA received 696 cases in 2021. Estimated lifetime GBV prevalence across the population is approximately 40,000 women. The formal system captures a fraction of what exists.
FPA caseworker conducts a risk assessment using a standardised tool. Intake covers the nature and history of violence, immediate safety, children in the household, whether the survivor wants a protection order, economic circumstances, housing, and support network. A safety plan is developed.
Quality varies with caseworker caseload. The AIM 2022 assessment found intake in Male' rushed and follow-up delayed due to caseload pressures. Three caseworkers serve the entire country.
FPA's caseworkers are based in Male'. A survivor on an outer island faces days of travel and the costs that come with it. Many never make it to this step.
If the survivor consents, FPA facilitates an application to the Family Court (Male') or a Magistrate Court (outer atolls). An interim protection order can be issued immediately ex parte if there is immediate danger, valid up to 21 days. A full hearing is scheduled with both parties for a substantive order.
On outer atolls, interim orders are severely underused. Magistrate Courts have limited sessions, may lack a resident judge, and staff may be unfamiliar with the procedure. Survivors in acute danger can wait days or weeks.
The court issues, modifies, or denies the protection order. The order is served on the perpetrator by police. It can prohibit contact, require vacating the shared residence, establish no-contact zones around workplaces and children's schools, and grant temporary custody. Violation is a criminal offence under the DVPA.
Local police on outer islands rarely have specialised DV training. Island councils may know the perpetrator and face community pressure. The gap between orders issued and orders enforced is substantial.
If the violence constitutes criminal assault, FPA refers to the police Family and Child Protection Wing (FCPW) for criminal investigation. Police investigate, prepare a case file, and decide whether to submit to the Prosecutor General.
This is the single largest point of failure in the system. 97% of cases reported to police never reach the Prosecutor General.
Survivors withdraw under social pressure, economic dependence, or security concerns. Police record cases as "civil matters" not requiring criminal investigation. Insufficient evidence is gathered during the initial police response. Prosecutors decline cases on low-probability-of-conviction grounds.
The Prosecutor General reviews the case file and decides whether to prosecute. If prosecuted, the case proceeds to Magistrate Court or Criminal Court. Of those that reach trial, only 16.7% result in conviction (2016–2019 data).
The 16.7% conviction rate reflects the high evidentiary burden under Section 52 of the Sexual Offences Act, which specifies five types of required evidence identified by civil society and UNFPA as "extremely burdensome." It also reflects recantation of survivor testimony during proceedings and the absence of specialist GBV court procedures.
From the estimated population of women who have experienced GBV to the final conviction of a perpetrator, the probability under current system conditions approximates zero. The AIM Project was established specifically to address this justice pathway failure.
The DVPA (2012) was the first law to address domestic violence as a distinct legal matter. The Sexual Offences Act (2014) criminalised rape and sexual assault but maintained a marital exception. The 2021 amendment partially criminalised marital rape, though the Penal Code's Section 130(b) presumption of consent within marriage remained, leading the UNFPA's 2023 legal review to describe marital rape as "incompletely criminalised."
The UNFPA Comprehensive Legal Review (McCabe, 2023) identified "repetitions, overlaps, contradictions and gaps" across the GBV legal architecture. The 2024 Police Strategic Plan identified DV as a strategic priority alongside organised crime and drug trafficking – reflecting both the scale of the problem and the institutional recognition that the current response is inadequate.
3 caseworkers based in Male'. Geographic presence limited to the capital region. Average DV caseload per caseworker: 70–80 cases. Chronic understaffing documented by AIM Project Baseline Assessment 2022 – intake rushed, follow-up delayed.
Day-to-day: receiving DV complaints directly from survivors, family members, and mandatory reporters; risk assessment and agency referral; facilitating protection order applications through the Family Court; operating the national GBV case database; managing safe houses; training health, education, and social sector workers; publishing quarterly DV case statistics; individual and children's counselling; survivor support groups (capacity-constrained).
3 ADB-funded DV shelters (Addu, Hulhumale', Raa) serving 187 inhabited islands. FPA also operates a transitional facility in Male' with limited capacity. Shelter placements are time-limited. Coverage gaps are most acute in central atolls and Laamu.
DV reporting surged during lockdowns. Women twice as likely to stop working (22% vs 8%). Only 15% of emergency COVID-19 relief loans went to women. Geveshi Gulhun campaign launched. Maternal mortality spiked to 60 per 100,000 live births in 2021.
EU-UNDP-MoSFD 2022–2025 initiative addressing GBV justice pathway attrition. Focus: evidence gathering, multi-agency coordination, psychosocial support, community awareness.
33% quota increased representation from ~4% to 39.7%. Women councillors changed local agendas measurably. But WDCs have no independent budget, decisions advisory only. At parliamentary level, women hold only 3 of 93 seats (3.2%).
85% of flogging sentences against women and girls. Reflects intersection of zina law with sexual violence response.