Maldives Police Service have arrested a foreigner for sexually assaulting a young girl in one of the northern island of the country.

Police revealed that the man had been arrested over a case lodged with the Northern Policed Division, which includes the Alif Alif, Alif Dhaalu, Kaafu and Vaavu atolls. Police received report that the man had sexually assaulted a young child at around 10:15pm on Monday.

A 33-year-old Bangladesh national suspected of the assault was arrested under a court order on Tuesday. Maldives Police Service have since revealed that they are investigating the case.

The shadow effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic have seen the number of instances of violence reported against women skyrocket across world countries. As such, there has been a concerningly uptick in the number of cases of sexual assault, child abuse and violence against women being reported across the Maldives in recent weeks.

A protest was held at the Usfasgandu area in Male' City on Saturday night, where a number of women and youth gathered to voice concerns over the brutality of violence being perpetrated against women and children across the country. Protestors expressed concern over the government's inability to secure justice for survivors of domestic violence and sexual abuse, and called for authorities to actively fund the safety of women and children in the Maldives amid the present crisis.