Police probes rape of minor in R. Maduvvari

Maldives Police Service (MPS) has launched an investigation into the gang-rape of a minor in Maduvvari island of Raa atoll.

The case of a group of men including a teacher at Maduvvari School gang-raping a 14-year-old girl sparked outrage across the island community and a large crowd of infuriated residents created chaos outside of the police station in the island, demanding the arrest of the suspects.

The victim has since been taken under the protection of the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services, after providing a statement of the abuse to the authorities.

The teacher accused of involvement in the gang-rape is a local and RaajjeMV understands that a police officer stationed in the island had also been involved in the minor’s rape.

It has been reported that the minor was led to a house under the false pretense that she had “unfinished school work” and two masked men were present with the teacher -who was also masked- at the house the victim was lured into.

Sources cited the victim having stated that one of the men was dressed in police uniform and that she was threatened of his “power” as a high-ranking officer. The men threatened to kill her entire family should she tell anyone what happened, before she was forced to down a glass of “juice”. The child is to have said that she was aware that she was being tied up while she was passing out.

While the rape is to have occurred a fortnight back, the child suffers immense mental trauma from the abuse, sources have reported. As such, she evidently exhibits traumatized behavior such as crying, screaming and avoiding social interactions. The victim was also treated at the island hospital.

The police institution has since confirmed that they have launched an investigation into a case of sexual assault against a minor from an island within the region consisting of Noonu, Raa, Baa and Lhaviyani atolls.

Police received reports of the sexual assault which took place on March 3, over a week later on March 11.