An elderly man in Thaa atoll Madifushi has died by suicide after being accused of rape, prompting protests against the woman who made the allegation.
Police said a woman from Madifushi filed a complaint on Sunday, accusing the 63-year-old man of rape. He was taken to the Madifushi police station to give a statement but later took his own life. A source said he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.
A source speaking from the island said the man had been seen carrying a rope before the incident, which was reported to the police by some island residents.
The woman who made the allegation is a disabled person. According to sources, she reported the incident to the police shortly after it occurred, when no one else was at the house.
She later underwent medical tests, and a gynecologist confirmed to the police that she had suffered sexual assault.
Following the man’s death, his family and some residents staged protests on yesterday evening and night, gathering near the woman’s home and calling for her arrest.
A source in Madifushi claimed the woman had made similar accusations in the past.
“A Bangladeshi man is still in prison on charges of raping her,” the source said.
There are concerns among some residents that such incidents are causing unrest on the island.
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