Police have arrested two persons in connection with a case where two men sexually abused a minor, filmed her and then leaked the video online.
According to the police the case was reported on August 20, 2013.
Police stated that the pair were both aged 27 and were arrested on 24 August while on the island of Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll.
Naifaru Magistrate Court has extended their detention period to 15 days.
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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)A 50 year-old man man from Maalhendhoo in Noonu Atoll has been sentenced to 24 years in prison after being found guilty by Kendhikolhudhoo island court of molesting his two teenage daughters, police have said.
According to authorities, the two girls would have been aged 13 and 17 in August last year when complaints were first submitted to Manadhoo Police Station in Noonu Atoll over the abuse.
News of the sentencing comes as authorities this week announced two people had been arrested over separate cases of child abuse alleged have occurred since the beginning of the year.
As part of its investigations, the police said they had arrested a 49 year-old male on January 2 on suspicion of molesting a 6 year-old girl on the island of Nilandhoo in Faafu Atoll.
Officers on the island, also based in Faafu Atoll, were called to attend a scene where a man was allegedly molesting the minor. Police said that officers had arrived at the scene in time to catch the suspect committing the crime.
According to police, the 49 year-old suspect was now being held under pretrial detention. His detention has been extended by Nilandhoo Court for 15 days.
Police this week also arrested a 54 year-old man over allegations he had sexually molested a 10 year-old girl on the island of Gahdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll.
Police said the man was arrested yesterday [6 January 2013] at about 10:30pm.
Local newspapers have reported that the suspect was believed to be a relative of the victim.
December cases
Another three suspected cases of sexual abuse involving children or young women were reported to police last week.
On December 31, a 13 year-old living on Gahdhoo in Gaafu Dhaalu Atoll was reported to have sexually assaulted in an abandoned home on the island after being drugged and abducted, police have said. Three suspects were arrested in connection to the assault.
The same day, a suspect wanted for questioning in connection to the sexual abuse of a 13 year-old girl in Male’ on December 30 handed himself into police after authorities publicised his picture in the media.
Police also said they had arrested a 33 year-old male in connection with the rape of a girl below 16 years of age in Vili-Male’ on December 29, 2012.
(0)Dislikes(0)The High Court appeal concerning the sexual abuse case of Jumhoree Party (JP) MP Hassan Adil has begun today, reports Haveeru.
Today’s session was held behind closed doors, the paper reported, which is constitutionally allowed for in order to protect the family involved.
Adil was acquitted in March of this year after the judge said the state had failed to present sufficient evidence as per the requirement of Article 47 of the Use of Special Procedures in Dealing with Child Abusers Act.
Police originally arrested Adil on 4th April 2011 with a court warrant.
On June 12 2011 the court granted the Prosecutor General (PG)’s permission to hold Adil in house arrest until the trial reached a conclusion.
If the court finds Adil guilty, he will face imprisonment for a period of between 10 to 14 years and would lose his seat in parliament.
(0)Dislikes(0)A 16 year-old girl has been sentenced to 100 lashes and eight months house arrest by Hulhudhufaaru Magistrate Court in Raa Atoll, for fornication.
The court also sentenced a 29 year-old man to 10 years imprisonment, after the court found him guilty of having sex with the girl.
As she is a legally a minor, the court stated that the girl’s sentence would be implemented when she turned 18.
An official from the told the local media that the man travelled to the island after the girl invited him. The the girl’s family noticed that she was not at home and went looking for her, the official said.
The pair were found that night in some bushes behind the island’s power house, he added.
The court official said the the girl’s family pressed charges, which were denied by the man. However the girl confessed, local press reported.
The Hulhudhufaaru Court identified the 29 year-old as Ahmed Rasheed of Angolhitheemu Island in Raa Atoll.
The man was sentenced under article 3[a][c] of the Child Sex Abuse [Special Provisions] Act which states that if a person touches a minor with the intention of having sex, then it is a punishable crime. A person found guilty of such a crime can be sentenced to a term of 10-14 years in prison.
According to statistics revealed by the Gender Department in April this year, between December 2010 and October 2011, 1,138 cases of child abuse were reported from atoll family and children service centres. 1,005 of these cases involved minors while 133 of these cases involved victims aged older than 18.
Approximately one third of the 81 cases involving children less than one year involved neglect. Sexual abuse was reported in a quarter of the 192 cases for age group one to five, and in a fifth of the 230 cases age group five to 10.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) has appealed MP Hassan Adil’s sexual abuse case at the High Court, after the Criminal Court ruled that the state had failed to present sufficient evidence as per the requirement of Article 47 of the use of Child Sex Abuse (Special Provision)’s Act.
PG officials confirmed to local media that Adil’s case had been submitted to the High Court and the High Court had accepted it.
Police arrested Adil on 4th April 2011 with a court warrant, and on the next day extended his detention period for 15 days. He was later transferred to house arrest.
On June 12 last year the court granted the Prosecutor General (PG)’s permission to hold Adil in house arrest until the trial reached a conclusion.
If the court finds Adil guilty, he would face imprisonment for a period of between 10 to 14 years and would lose his seat in parliament.
Under article 73(c)(3) of the constitution, MPs found guilty of a criminal offence “and sentenced to a term of more than twelve months” would be stripped of their seat.
Police at the time alleged that Adil had sexually abused a 13 year-old girl belonging to a family with whom he was close friends. The family of the victim had raised concerns over the delays in filing the case in court by the Prosecutor General.
MP Hassan Adil was originally elected to the parliament under the ticket of Dr Hassan Saeed’s Dhivehi Qaumee Party (DQP), however he switched allegiance and defected to then ruling Maldivian Democratic Party (MDP).
Following the change of power on February 7, he left the MDP and joined the pro-government Jumhoree Party (JP).
(0)Dislikes(0)Police have arrested an 18 year-old man for allegedly sexually abusing his 17 year-old ex-girlfriend, reports SunFM.
SunFM reported that police would only confirm that the incident occurred and refused to disclose more information.
However, islanders told the paper that the man was the 17 year-old girl’s ex-boyfriend.
(0)Dislikes(0)A Quran teacher on Filladhoo in Haa Alifu Atoll has been arrested after he was discovered inside a room with a 13 year old girl.
Police Sub-Inspector Ahmed Shiyam confirmed that the teacher was arrested on Monday night and was in police custody.
A Filladhoo islander told Minivan News that the teacher was a temporary Islam and Quran teacher who had been working at Filladhoo school for two months.
‘’He is 19 years old and the 13 year-old girl was his girlfriend,’’ the islander alleged. “They were inside a room in the girl’s grandmother’s house when the police arrested him.’’
The islander claimed the girl’s parents were aware of their relationship and noted that such things were “quite common on the island.’’
The teacher had been reported to police by some boys on the island who had a grudge against him, the islander claimed.
A total of 198 arrests were made for child abuse cases from the beginning of the year to the end of September 2010.
The crime of child abuse is most common in Male’. More than 16 percent of girls in Male’ under the age of fifteen are sexually abused, four percent higher than the national average.
The national average stands at 12 percent – of every 100 Maldivian girls under the age of fifteen, twelve are sexually abused. Most perpetrators of the crime, according to a 2007 Gender Ministry report on women’s health and well-being, are male family members of the children.
The second most common perpetrators are male acquaintances of the family, neighbours, teachers or religious leaders.
Three men from Filladhoo were arrested recently for allegedly using spy cameras to filming videos young girls showering.
According to the islander, the three men admitted they committed the crime but have since been released by the court.
(0)Dislikes(0)The Criminal Court yesterday sentenced a man to three years in prison after the court found him guilty of the indecent exposure of his body to a minor in Villingili.
The court identified the offender as Mohamed Saeed, 39.
The Criminal court said the brother of the male victim received information of the incident and reported to police that Saeed was attempting to have sex with the boy inside a guest house named ‘Beach View’ in Villingili.
“When police went to the guest house after receiving the information from the victim’s brother, police attended the scene and saw Saeed standing naked near the bed,’’ said the Criminal Court. “The boy was lying on the bed when the police arrived.’’
The Criminal Court said the victim told the court that Saeed went into the toilet and came out naked.
Saeed told the court that he worked in a cargo ship and came to Male’ for his vacation.
The Court sentenced him according to the ‘Act on special actions against sexual abuse to minors’ section 22[a] and 22[b].
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