HRCM issues statement following public pressure over Yumnu’s “fall”

After maintaining silence because it involves parties connected to political figures in the government, the Human Rights Commission of Maldives (HRCM) has finally issued a statement regarding the incident of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed's near-fatal fall.

In a statement released a week after the incident, HRCM said that it is investigating how authorities are handling the case of a 21-year-old woman who was found fallen on the roof of a house in the capital Malé City. The commission also stated that it will consider the allegations made by the public on social media, claiming police negligence in investigating the incident and that influential figures connected to high-ranking government officials are involved and interfering with the investigation.

HRCM's statement said that since these matters came to the commission's attention, they have repeatedly attempted to get a statement from the victim's family. They were able to get information from the family at some point on Thursday. The family also shared their concerns about the work of the police and other agencies.

The statement noted that disclosing specific evidence during the initial stages of a criminal investigation, while efforts are underway to identify and gather all surrounding evidence, could potentially impact the investigation. As such, HRCM expressed concern that the Maldives Police Service (MPS) only showed CCTV footage of the exterior of the building where the victim was last seen during press conferences held on April 22 and 24. They also stated that it was regrettable that this had compromised the dignity of the individuals seen in the video.

Further, HRCM expressed concern that during the press conference on April 22, while information about other parties related to the case was not disclosed, only the victim's information was revealed. This was seen as discriminatory treatment between the victim and other parties involved in the incident. The commission also expressed concern that this had further victimized the injured party.

HRCM also expressed concern that the police institution had shared information with journalists in a way that suggested how the incident occurred, even before the police investigation had reached a stage where a specific conclusion could be drawn based on all surrounding evidence. They stated that this could lead to a loss of public trust in the police and raise questions about the integrity of the investigation.

The commission called on MPS to conduct a comprehensive, complete, and impartial investigation free from any influence. They also stated that HRCM will continue to monitor the progress of the police investigation.