Commissioner of Police requests alleged child rapist be jailed pending outcome of trial

Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has requested the Prosecutor General to file a motion with the court to hold the man arrested for the rape of an 11-year-old girl in jail pending the outcome of his trial.

The Commissioner of Police issued the request under the Special Provisions Act to Deal with Child Sex Offenders.

Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed announced in a tweet on Saturday afternoon that he has requested Prosecutor General Hussain Shameem to apply for a court order to have the suspect arrested for the rape of an 11-year-old girl in a guesthouse in Male’ City last week remanded in jail pending the outcome of his trial.

It marks the first time for such a request to be made in five years.

Article 30 (a) of Special Provisions Act to Deal with Child Sex Offenders establishes that the Commissioner of Police may request the Prosecutor General to submit to court to obtain an order to detain a person under suspicion of committing an offence prescribed under the Act into custody during investigation and trial stages, where the police feel the need to invoke the special procedures set out under the Act.

Article 30 (b) states that the Prosecutor General must review the request as per their guidelines, following which; they must submit the request to court to obtain the order, as soon as practicable.

The 11-year-old girl was raped in a guesthouse in Male’ City on Wednesday.

The police arrested the suspect in the case, a 38-year-old Maldivian male, on Friday night.

The police said the rape case is under investigation as a high-priority case, and that the agency is working with other relevant State agencies to provide the victim with support and protection.

The crime had taken place with Male’ City under lockdown due to an outbreak of the new coronavirus, and a special permit from the police required to venture outside homes. It is unclear how the victim was taken to the guesthouse.

The crime is similar to a rape case in late May, which involved a girl of the age of 16 years who was also raped in a guesthouse in Male’ City, after she was blackmailed and coerced.

A 24-year-old Maldivian male has been arrested in connection to the case.