Prosecutor General’s Office (PGO) has revealed the decision to seek charges against the perpetrators involved in the sexual assault of a toddler almost two years of age from Kanduhulhudhoo island in Gaaf Alif atoll.
At a press conference held on Wednesday, PG Hussain Shameem revealed that they will seek to raise charges against them at the Criminal Court on Thursday.
The case of sexual assault against a toddler one year and nine months of age arose on 15 January and implicated in the case are the two-year-old’s 33-year-old father, 62-year-old grandfather and 82-year-old 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.
Shameem stated that they always work to appoint a lawyer at the beginning of investigations into bigger cases.
It was revealed that the PGO is working to raise charges on the three men implicated in the case, as well as others involved in the case.
I believe the amount of those we are seeking charges against is more than three. We noticed more people in that family to have been negligent in the child’s protection”PG Shameem
Further details regarding charges will be revealed on Thursday afternoon.
Remands of the accused are set to expire on 16 February.
This comes at a time President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has urged the relevant authorities to bring the perpetrators behind the inhumane acts to be brought before justice.
Hassan Moosa Didi, 82 and Ibrahim Didi, 62 were arrested on 15 January under accusations of sexually assaulting the toddler. Their remand was extended by another 15 days on 2 February. 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.
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.
