The Criminal Court has extended the remands for the 62-year-old and the 82-year-old accused of sexually assaulting a toddler.

Hassan Moosa Didi, 82 and Ibrahim Didi, 62 were arrested on 15 January from Kanduhulhudhoo island in Gaaf Alif atoll under accusations of sexually assaulting a toddler, just one year and nine months of age.

Their remand was extended by another 15 days.

The child’s paternal grandfather is accused of sexually assaulting the child, while the great grandfather has a criminal record of sexual assault against children.

Their remand was extended as mandated under article 60 of the Criminal Procedure Act, revealed the Criminal Court, to maintain overall safety and security of the society.

The case of sexual assault against a two-year-old arose and implicated in the case are the two-year-old’s father, grandfather and great grandfather. The father is accused of negligence in the case. The toddler’s mother was in capital city Malé due to health issues when this case emerged.

While sources report that the parents are drug users, police confirmed that they have criminal records. Police has since revealed that the child’s father is fully cooperating with police investigations.

Several such cases of sexual assault against children have been unfolding since then and police, as well as the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services have been facing backlash in inadequate measures taken to curb such cases from repeating. However, both bodies have assured the public that they are doing everything necessary to protect the rights of children.