Police on safari case: We do not know why the woman jumped overboard

Police have said that they were not aware of the reason why the victim in the safari rape case reported on Friday, jumped into the sea.

Senior officials of police were summoned to a meeting of the parliament’s Committee on Gender and Human Rights today. Speaking in the meeting, police admitted that there must have been a reason why the victim jumped overboard but added that it was difficult to assess why.

Speaking in the Committee, the In-charge officer of the Hulhumale’ Police Station Mohamed Rasheed said, “When police attended the scene (on Friday night) the victim said that the accused were refusing to hand over her phone. That she had attended the safari at 23:00 upon an invitation from a friend and returned. That the accused had her phone and were not returning it.” 

Rasheed said that during the ordeal, the woman had claimed that she was raped, but later said that she was groped and touched without consent.

Many have pointed out that the woman would not have jumped overboard and tried to swim to shore without a valid reason.

Speaking in today’s meeting, Deputy Commissioner of Police Abdul Mannaan Yoosuf said that police were investigating why the woman had jumped overboard but did not have an answer as of right now.

Police also refuted claims in the media that the woman’s clothes were ripped. 

Rape has not been ruled out!

DCP Mannaan said, “So far, the matter is not being investigated as rape, however, we are also not ruling it out.”

Based on the evidence of the investigation, whether it is a rape or an attempted rape based, police would not stop working.

DCP Mannaan went on to say that based on the information received so far and the statement of the victim, the case in front was different from the one being portrayed on the media.

“Urine samples were not collected, because they did not seem to be intoxicated”

Police also said that urine samples from the accused in the case were not collected as they did not seem to be intoxicated.

Officials said that the victim in her statement had admitted that she had consumed alcohol.

DCP Mannaan said “The officers on duty did not believe the individuals were intoxicated as per the record. So nothing was done in relation to that under that view.”