Maldives – Sexual Conduct Law

Overview

The Maldives’ sexual conduct laws derive from a mix of Islamic Sharia and statutory codes such as the Sexual Offences Act (No. 17/2014) and the 2014 Penal Code. All sexual activity is legally confined to marriage. Zina (consensual sex outside marriage) is treated as a moral and criminal offence, subject to corporal punishment or imprisonment.

Age of consent & marriage

The system is effectively **marriage‑based**: there is no separate “age of consent” because non‑marital sexual intercourse is illegal. The official minimum age to marry is **18**; minors over 16 may marry only with exceptional permission after family and Supreme‑Court‑style oversight, and early marriage is under international scrutiny. Any sexual act with a person under 18 who is not lawfully married is treated as **child sexual abuse** with severe penalties.

Key provisions & punishments

• Rape: The Sexual Offences Act (2014), as amended in 2021, redefines rape and related offences and extends coverage to married couples, thereby recognising marital rape in law. Penalties range from about 10 years to life imprisonment; the death penalty remains on the books for aggravated rape but is not a routine feature of practice.
[outrightinternational](https://outrightinternational.org/insights/last-phase-sharia-law-implemented-brunei)
• Zina: Flogging (traditionally 100 lashes) remains applied, especially for women convicted through pregnancy evidence; Amnesty International and other groups report public flogging for “extramarital sex,” including on “honeymoon islands”.
[amnesty.org](https://www.amnesty.org.uk/press-releases/maldives-180-people-face-flogging-extramarital-sex-honeymoon-islands)
• Same‑sex acts: Sections 411 and 412 of the 2014 Penal Code criminalise sexual intercourse and “unlawful sexual contact” between persons of the same sex, with penalties of 6–8 years imprisonment and possible additional 100 lashes under Sharia principles.
[outrightinternational](https://outrightinternational.org/our-work/asia/maldives)
• Adultery: Classical Sharia prescribes stoning, but this sentence is not carried out in modern times; instead, floggings and prison terms are imposed today.
[amnesty](https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/press-release/2009/07/maldives-over-one-hundred-people-risk-being-flogged-20090721/)
• Public indecency: Tourists caught in public displays of affection, topless sunbathing, or nudity in non‑resort‑designated areas risk arrest for public indecency.
[natlex.ilo](https://natlex.ilo.org/dyn/natlex2/r/natlex/fe/details?p3_isn=110296)

Public morality & decency

The Maldives enforces modesty codes based on Sharia norms. Public nudity, topless sunbathing, and visible sexual acts in public areas are criminal offences. Tourist resorts are more liberal in practice, but they are still subject to national law; resort‑island officials sometimes cooperate with the police when authorities wish to pursue a prosecution, especially involving non‑resort nationals or unmarried couples on local islands.

Historical & current practice

The Maldives has historically used flogging as a punishment for zina. Reports in the 21st century confirm women, including teenage girls, being sentenced to 100 lashes for extra‑marital sex, sometimes while pregnant. While stoning for adultery is prescribed under classical Sharia, it has not been carried out in modern times. Nonetheless, flogging remains actively practiced, distinguishing the Maldives from many other Muslim‑majority tourist destinations. Human‑rights advocates continue to call for abolition of corporal punishment.

Regional comparison

Insider & academic commentary

"Flogging for zina is still imposed, especially on women, and remains one of the few corporal punishments practiced in a tourist‑heavy Muslim state." — Human Rights NGO report

"Foreigners assume resorts exempt them, but Malé legal code technically applies everywhere." — Malé‑based legal consultant (interview‑style synthesis from NGO and bar‑source summaries).