The Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services has urged individuals to report to the authorities if cases of domestic violence and abuse are observed.

As such, the ministry has urged both victims and those in the know of domestic abuse cases, to report to the ministry without delay.

The ministry added that they require public support and cooperation when investigating such cases.

Victims have also been urged to seek help in such cases, without hiding the information by contacting the ministry’s hotline 3328393 or 1412.

This comes at a time the Maldives Police Service (MPS) arrested a man in connection to a child sexual assault case reported from an island in the upper-north province. As such, 53-year-old Maldivian man was arrested for sexually assaulting a 16-year-old boy.

Police earlier assured that they investigate cases related to sexual assault against children, as serious cases.

Earlier, it was revealed that several cases of child abuse were identified through the Maldives Child Protection Database (MCPD) during the ongoing Covid-19 crisis, there have been concerns regarding child abuse risks amid the pandemic. With this being said, the Gender Ministry has since assured that their work is ongoing without interruption and that measures to monitor abuse cases have been put in place as well.

International experts had warned of an increase in child sexual abuse risks due to possible victims as well as offenders having to be placed in isolation for a long period of time due to the measures being taken to curb the pandemic. Schools, educational institutes and government office have been closed for two weeks as part of the restrictive measures being taken in the face of the pandemic.