19-year-old arrested over child sexual assault case in Hulhumale’

Maldives Police Service has taken a suspect into custody in connection with the case of the two young boys who were sexually assaulted in Hulhumale’ in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday.

The victims, aged six years and eight years of age, were molested at approximately 1 am.

They were treated for their injuries at Hulhumale’ Hospital.

Maldives Police Service reports it took the suspect, identified as a 19-year-old male, into custody under after obtaining an arrest warrant from the court at 2:48 am this Sunday.

The arrest came within hours after the suspect was stripped and made to walk the streets in his underwear by locals from Hulhumale’ in a display of vigilante justice. Videos of the incident show the man confessing to molesting the young boys.

The child sexual assault case in Hulhumale’ came less than a week after authorities arrested the suspect in the sexual abuse of a nine-year-old girl in a southern Maldivian atoll.

The suspect, a 71-year-old man who is the long-time boyfriend of the victim’s mother, was arrested on May 20 and has been remanded to 15 days in custody.

The case, reported on May 10, also involves girl’s brothers – aged 13 years and 16 years – who are also accused of abusing the girl.