The Children's Ombudsperson's Office has strongly denounced the distribution of a video in which a child was publicly humiliated during an opposition Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP) rally in Male' last Thursday evening.

In a statement, the office expressed deep concern over the incident, emphasizing that the Maldivian Constitution guarantees children special protection and assistance from both their families and the State. While acknowledging the importance of freedom of expression as enshrined in the Constitution, the office stressed that this right must be exercised in a way that does not violate Islamic principles or undermine the dignity of others.

The statement also underscored that the Child Rights Protection Act specifically protects a child's reputation, and the broadcasting of such content via a registered media outlet is entirely inappropriate.

"Such actions can severely damage a child's self-confidence and result in lasting psychological harm," the statement added.

The Children's Ombudsperson's Office has urged society and relevant authorities to take action to prevent similar incidents in the future and confirmed that they are closely monitoring the ongoing situation.

In response to the video, President Dr. Mohamed Muizzu's family has decided to take legal action against senior MDP activist Mariyam Zubair (Mandhy), MDP Chairperson Fayyaz Ismail, and the party itself for the remarks made about the President's son.