Mob attacks mosque worker accused of molesting young boy

Police have arrested a migrant custodial worker at the Masjid Al-Jalaluddin in Male’ City on suspicion of the sexual abuse of a young boy who goes to the mosque to perform his prayers.

According to a police spokesperson, a male migrant worker was arrested for the sexual harassment of a boy under the age of 18 years in a mosque in Chaandhanee Magu on Tuesday.

Sun’s reporters witnessed an angry crowd attack the suspect before the police arrived at the scene. Some of the bystanders took him away and handed him over to the police. A large crowd of people remained gathered outside the mosque expressing concern over the incident after the police transported him to the police station.

One of the people there told Sun that the suspect worked at the mosque as a custodial worker, and that he molested the young boy at the washroom used to perform wudu.

He said that the suspect was seen exposing himself to the victim by another young boy, who alerted the people to the incident.

The victim’s parents arrived at the scene and took their son home.

The young boy’s father told Sun that they lived near the mosque, and that his son went to the mosque daily to perform his prayers.

The young boy is under the age of 10.

According to the father, his son told him that the suspect had sexually abused him on multiple occasions.

The case is under investigation by the police.

Those with information regarding crimes against children are urged to call the Maldives Police Service’s Family and Child Protection Department at 3000600 or the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services’ helpline 1412.