The Ministry of Social and Family Development released a report that paints a devastating picture of social challenges gripping the Maldivian community, with an astounding 2,854 cases requiring intervention throughout 2024. Behind each number lies a story of struggle, resilience, and hope.

In the realm of child protection, the Ministry documented concerning trends across both halves of 2024.

Sexual abuse cases increased from 119 to 136, totalling a heartbreaking 255 cases for the year. Negligence cases rose from 111 to 139, reaching 250 cases. While physical abuse cases decreased slightly from 120 to 118, this marginal decline was overshadowed by the relentless tide of other forms of abuse, extending into the broader domestic sphere. The data revealed additional concerning categories, including exploitation, child abandonment, and commercial exploitation or child labour. Child pornography and cyber grooming emerged as darker chapters in this story, revealing the evolving nature of child protection challenges.

The gender distribution showed an increase from 311 female and 278 male victims in the first half to 345 female and 288 male victims in the second half, bringing the yearly total to 656 female and 566 male victims—each number representing a childhood disrupted.

Within households, where safety should be a given, domestic violence continues to cast a long shadow over our community.

Physical abuse cases increased slightly from 103 to 111, accumulating to 214 cases throughout the year. A stark gender disparity emerged – female victims outnumbered male victims by 215 to 30 in the first half, rising to 221 versus 45 in the second half, resulting in a yearly total of 436 female and 75 male victims. Behind closed doors, where family bonds should nurture and protect, the spectrum of domestic violence took many forms: emotional and verbal abuse, sexual harassment, controlling behaviour, and intimidation. This is further evidenced by stable rates of economic and financial abuse, remaining at 82 to 85 cases, totalling 167 instances throughout the year and showing the devastating nature of domestic control and coercion.

Like ripples in still water, these challenges spread through entire families. As the months unfolded, the data revealed a changing landscape of family life.

While parenting issues decreased from 61 to 55 cases, amounting to 116 cases annually, child access disputes rose from 64 to 82, reaching a concerning total of 146 cases. The Ministry's data shows a clear pattern in family-related cases, with custody or access issues affecting 36 families in the first half and 37 in the second half, totalling 73 families throughout the year. The marked increase in maintenance cases from 5 to 19, resulting in 24 annual cases, reflects growing financial pressures, highlighting complex family situations that require compassionate handling and sustained support.

Beyond familial issues, perhaps most concerning is the marked increase in mental health challenges.

In the quiet struggles of everyday life, each statistic represents an individual in crisis as self-harm and suicidal behaviour cases rose dramatically from 82 to 129 in the second half of 2024.

The year concluded with a total of 211 cases, comprising 157 female and 54 male victims, signalling an urgent crisis that demands immediate attention. The persistent gender disparity in these statistics suggests targeted intervention strategies may be necessary.

These personal battles often manifest in unexpected ways. Mental health concerns are particularly evident in youth behavioural issues, with cases spread across both halves of the year.

The Ministry's documentation of school refusal and other behavioural challenges indicates deeper underlying issues that affect educational engagement and social development, painting a picture of youth in silent struggle.

Among vulnerable populations, both youth and adults face significant challenges. The care and support division saw disability cases decrease from 95 to 64, with an annual total of 159 cases, and elderly care needs reduce from 24 to 16, totalling 40 cases for the year.

The gender distribution in care and support cases showed a consistent pattern, with males requiring more support – 71 in the first half decreased to 50 in the second half, totalling 121 cases, while female cases numbered 48 in the first half and 30 in the second half, amounting to 78 cases throughout the year.

Even the most fundamental needs remained a daily struggle, with new challenges emerging in the second half of the year, including access to safe drinking water – basic rights that many take for granted.

The youngest members of our community bear their own burdens. The Ministry's tracking of child rights violations revealed a concerning upward trend, increasing from 26 to 27 cases, reaching a total of 53 cases by year's end.

The violations spanned multiple categories, with refusal to send children to school being the most prevalent (9 cases in the first half), followed by birth registration issues (4 cases) and violations of right to education (4 cases).

The latter half of 2024 saw new categories emerge, including forced child marriage and healthcare access violations, indicating either improved reporting mechanisms or emerging challenges facing young community members.

Looking ahead, as we move forward in 2025, these findings serve as both an urgent call to action and a reminder of our collective responsibility to protect vulnerable members of our community. These numbers tell more than a story of crisis—they tell a story of hope, of lives that can be transformed through timely intervention and community support.

In every statistic lies a human story waiting to be rewritten. Behind every statistic stands a person reaching out for help, and our response today will echo in countless lives tomorrow. Together, we can turn these stories of crisis into narratives of recovery. Each case represents an opportunity for intervention, healing, and positive change within our community.