Local media has reported that a 17 year-old girl was gang raped today afternoon on the staircase of a house in Henveiru.
Online newspaper ‘CNM’ reported that the case was reported to police at about 2: 48 pm today afternoon.
According to the paper, the incident occurred inside a house named ‘Light Rose’ in Henveiru Ward.
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(0)The Criminal Court has acquitted six men charged with the gang rape of a minor, on the grounds that the prosecution was unable to offer sufficient evidence to prove they were guilty.
Abdulla Nazeef of Fuvamulah, Mohamed Shifau of Villimale’, Azim Ali from Dhigurah in Alif Dhaalu, Hoodh Mohamed of Male’ special registry, Inash Abdulla of Gaafu Dhaalu Vaadhoo and Ali Ashraf of Maafannu Athuma were charged with the sexual abuse of a minor by a group.
The Prosecutor General’s Office pressed charges against the six suspects on allegations that on June 5, 2010, they abducted a 14 year-old girl, took her to an abandoned area near the Villimale’ antennae area, and raped the victim.
The Criminal Court stated in its verdict that the state had charged the six men under the Special Provisions for Perpetrators of Child Sex Abuse Act of 2009 but had not produced enough evidence as required by the law to declare a person guilty.
According to local media, the court’s verdict stated that the suspects were acquitted as the state had not presented the required number of witnesses to the incident.
The verdict also stated that all the defendants had denied the charges.
According to local media, two of the accused – Abdulla Nazeef and Mohamed Shifau – are among the suspects charged with the murder of Ahmed Mirza Ibrahim.
In April 2011, Mirza Ibrahim was struck in the head with an iron bar while he was sitting inside a park in Villingili, the ward of Male’ where he lived.
Mirza suffered severe head injuries in the attack and was rushed to Indira Gandi Memorial Hospital (IGMH), where he was placed on life support but later declared brain-dead.
(0)Dislikes(0)Head of the Police Child Protection Department, Chief Inspector Hassan Shifau, has said police are searching for Mausoom Abaas of Hunaru in Maafannu Ward in connection with the gang rape of a 16 year-old girl in February.
Police first sought public assistance in locating Mausoom Abbas in mid-February.
Yesterday (May 29) Chief Inspector of Police Hassan Shifau issued a video interview regarding the case and said that on February 12, a 16 year-old girl was gang raped by four men, three of whom had since been arrested. The fourth was yet to be located, he said.
Shifau stated that Mausoom was on the police service’s list of the 50 most dangerous criminals, with a record of 16 criminal offences ranging from drug related crimes to assault and robbery.
The three already arrested over the gang rape were aged 18, 19 and 22, and all had previous criminal records, he said.
According to Shifau, the victim had marks on her body that indicated she had been sexually harassed when she came to the police to report the case.
He also said that the DNA samples taken from the clothes she was wearing that night matched with the DNA samples of the persons arrested.
Police have not revealed details of the case nor have they identified the three arrested in connection with the matter.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested three 17 year-old males and a 19 year-old man in connection with the gang rape and filming of a 20 year-old girl on the island of Dhuvaafaru in Raa Atoll.
Police would not provide further information on the matter, but said the case was now under investigation.
A member of the Dhuvaafaru Island Council told Minivan News on condition of anonymity that the incident occurred three days ago.
“They went out to drive a motorbike around the island and they stopped near the beach in the industrial zone of the island near the power house,’’ he said. “The case was not reported to the council but was reported directly to police, we only heard of it the next day.”
The councillor insisted to Minivan News that media reports of the incident were inaccurate.
“The four boys always hang out with this girl and she is not very well disciplined; it is very unlikely that anyone would have to rape her, it would be easier than that,’’ he claimed. “I think the girl reported it to police as a gang rape because they filmed the incident.”
‘’It’s very sad, I think the boys will be scared and worried, because they are not that type of guys,’’ he added.
The councillor said the detention period of the four suspects was extended to 15 days. All were from Dhuvaafaru, he said, and were being held in a detention centre on Ungoofaaru island.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested four suspects for the abduction and gang rape of a 16-year-old girl in a guest house in Male last weekend.
The girl was grabbed by the men while she was walking down the road around midday on December 11, forced into a car and taken to a guest house, Head of the Police Child Protection Unit, Superintendent Ali Shujau told the press on Thursday.
She was drugged by the men and gang raped, he said, adding that the men filmed the crime.
The four suspects were identified by the Police as 20 year-old Azmeel Ahmed of Hithadhooge, Seenu atoll Hithadhoo, 25 year-old Mohamed Azum of White Sea, Seenu atoll Maradhoo-Feydhoo, 19 year- old Ismail Muneez of Maafannu Hiyama and 21 year-old Ahmed Nabeeh Moosa of Maafannu Fennairu.
They all were arrested withing 34 hours after the police were alerted to the crime. All the suspects have previous criminal records for drug abuse and assaults, Shujau added.
According to the police the family reported the crime after the girl went home and told about it. Police did not reveal how the victim reached home.
Shujau noted that the girl could not give a clear statement of the attack, although she identified two of them by their “gang names”. He also added that it is too soon to say whether the attack was directed to her.
A similar case was also reported in March 2010, when group of 15 men abducted, drugged and gang raped a 20 year old girl on the island of Hithadhu in Addu City.
Shujau had earlier told the press that police investigations have revealed that school children aged 14 to 18 were being lured to guest houses by adults.
Police found that minors were sexually abused at guest houses after being lured through the internet, he said.
The reported sexual assaults on young girls, women and even female expatriate workers, has been on the rise at an alarming rate this year.
Police confirmed on Wednesday, that they had arrested four men on accusations of attempting to sexually assault a 15 year-old girl on Nolhivaramfaru in Haa Dhaalu Atoll. The girl fortunately escaped with no injuries, police said.
In October, police arrested two men and a minor on suspicion of raping an Indian nurse working in the island of Gulhi in Kaafu Atoll.
In another attack in September, group of five men including the chairman of an anti-drug NGO allegedly drugged and raped a 15 year old girl on the island of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll.
In August police also arrested five men on the island of Innamaadhoo in Raa Atoll for allegedly raping a 16 year-old girl. While in the same month, an Indian gynecologist working at Hoarafushi Health Centre in Haa Alifu Atoll, was also attacked by a group of masked men at her house in August. She fought with the men and was able to escape.
A group of five were also arrested in May, on suspicion of gang raping an 18 year-old girl on Maabaidhoo in Laamu Atoll.
A 74-year-old woman was brutally raped by an alleged 19 year old on Hithadhoo in Addu City. She had to undergo surgery after the incident.
A 2006 study by the then Ministry of Gender and Family found that one in three Maldivian women aged 15-49 have experienced physical and/or sexual violence at some point in their lives, while one in five women in the same age group reported experiencing this from an intimate partner.
Moreover, one in six women in the capital Male’ and one in eight countrywide reported experiencing childhood sexual abuse under the age of 15 years.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested four men on accusations of attempting to sexually assault a 15 year-old girl on Nolhivaramfaru in Haa Dhaalu Atoll.
According to Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam, the girl was attacked by the four men on Sunday night. The girl escaped the attempted assault with no injuries, he said.
Local news outlet Sun reported that the girl was attacked while “out on a date with her boyfriend” around midnight. The pair tried to escape but the girl was caught by the group and threatened with a knife to perform sexual acts.
The girl reportedly escaped from the clutches of her attackers while they were taking her to an isolated location in the island’s jungle.
This year has seen increasing reports of sexual assaults on women and children, including gang rapes.
In October, police arrested two men and a minor on suspicion of raping an Indian nurse working in the island of Gulhi in Kaafu Atoll.
In another attack in September, group of five men including the chairman of an anti-drug NGO allegedly drugged and raped a 15 year old girl on the island of Guraidhoo in Kaafu Atoll.
In August police also arrested five men on the island of Innamaadhoo in Raa Atoll for allegedly raping a 16 year-old girl
A another group of five were arrested on suspicion of gang raping an 18 year-old girl on Maabaidhoo in Laamu Atoll.
The Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) and the Department of Gender and Family Protection Services had earlier strongly condemned the recent “atrocities” of sexual violence against minors, women and persons with special needs.
In an earlier press release , HRCM noted that the prevalence of sexual violence against the most vulnerable members of society, such as the elderly, under-age children and the disabled has “reached worrying levels.”
“We call on the government, state institutions, political parties, civil society organisations and all citizens to work together with renewed courage to stop such inhumane actions, save the community and establish a secure environment,” reads the HRCM statement.
According to Sub-Inspector Shiyam, police investigations have revealed a similar trend in most of the sexual assault cases.
Shiyam said that the girls are were attacked after being “lured by their boyfriends or friends to an isolated location at late hours”. In some cases girls were “lucky enough” to escape from the perpetrators, although in a few cases they were gang raped, he added.
He urged parents to be “more responsible with their children” adding that it is not advisable to let girls hang around outside with their boyfriends at late hours.
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have confirmed that three men have been arrested for raping a 40 year old woman in Gnaviyani Faumulaku.
The woman and her husband were stopped by three masked men on Friday night. After being taken at knife point to a remote beach area of the island, the men tied the husband to a tree and gang raped the woman.
Police said that the men were arrested with assistance from the Fuamulak community and the Fuamulak Crime Prevention Committee.
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