The family of 21-year-old Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed who was found fallen from H. Fentenoy onto the roof of an adjacent warehouse in the early hours of April 18, has confirmed that five others were present in the building including Raud Ahmed Zilaal, the main suspect involved in the incident.
Yumnu’s sibling spoke to RaajjeTV on behalf of the family, providing information from the victim’s side for the first time regarding the incident.
As such, the family revealed that no government institution has conducted any kind of investigation into the incident so far.
The family went on to cite Yumnu having revealed that she had been to Fentenoy, before as well.
Refuting claims by the Maldives Police Service (MPS) that Yumnu “fell on her own”, the family asserted that she would not do such a thing by herself.
Yumnu has said that besides Raud, who has been arrested on suspicion of involvement in Yumnu's fall, there were four other people in the house. Yumnu is to have said that when she fell, she was left there. Yumnu's family has also said that the police released information about the case without taking Yumnu's statement.
Further, Yumnu has said that besides Raud, Yoosuf Yassar Abdul Gafoor was also present at Fentenoy. Yassar is one of the people the police say was among those who partied under the influence, at Minister of Transport and Civil Aviation Mohamed Ameen's residence. Yumnu said that she went to Fentenoy on Yassar's invitation and that he was the one who shared the location of the house with her.
The family has stated that when taken to the police and questioned, they kept saying that there was no camera in the house, and that it was a “random” house.
Yumnu’s family revealed that those who were with her abandoned her, leaving her to die. Her sister acknowledged that speaking out could deeply affect her own life, but said the family is determined to seek justice.
Yumnu’s sister questioned why the special presidential commission established to investigate the case has yet to contact the family. She also expressed concern that the police have stopped pursuing further inquiries. According to the family, authorities worked to discredit Yumnu and shape a damaging public image of her. They further alleged that investigators lied repeatedly, even when confronted about inconsistencies.