Police release 8 arrested in Hulhumale’ clashes

The police have released eight arrested in clashes between officers and protesters gathered outside the hideout of a rape suspect in suburban Hulhumale’.

An angry crowd had gathered outside flat 108 in Hulhumale’ where a rape suspect, identified by the police only as a 33-year-old male, had been holed up in after fleeing his home island to evade arrest.

A family member confirmed the identity of the man as the father of a rape victim in Southern Maldives, a toddler who is yet to reach two years of age.

He was arrested and taken to Dhoonidhoo Custodial on Friday night.

The father, along with the victim’s grandfather and great-grandfather are accused of raping the toddler. The grandfather – a 62-year-old – and the great-grandfather – an 82-year-old – had both been arrested from their home island on Friday afternoon. They were remanded to 15 days in jail by the G. A. Gemanafushi Magistrate Court, and were transported to Dhoonidhoo Custodial for their confinement on Saturday morning.

The crowd, which had been gathered outside flat 108 since Friday afternoon, had gotten increasingly restless as the time went by, while police officers waited on a court warrant to make the arrest.

They began throwing rocks and other objects at the apartment, shattering windows and the glass balcony door.

Special Operations (SO) officers were deployed to the area, and their use of pepper spray to control the crowd resulted in violent clashes which left several injured, officers and civilians alike.

The police arrested 27 people in the clashes; 26 males and one female. Three of the males were minors.

The three minors were released into the custody of their family on Friday night. While the female and four more males were also released, after they were cleared of involvement in the clashes.