Maldives Police Service, on Monday, arrested a 71-year-old male suspected of sexually abusing a child aged 9.
Police did not reveal further details on the matter.
The man accused of sexually assaulting the girl was the former lover of the girl's mother. The mother, on Monday, declared her non-involvement in the act and called for the man to be rightfully punished.
Additionally, the mother stated that she only recently came into the knowledge of the act although her child was assaulted during the period of the 2018 presidential elections.
"I did not observe any stress or discomfort from my daughter following the incident. One day I told her I was going to visit the man's house and asked her if she would go with me. She refused saying he was a bad man and she would not go to his house," the mother said.
According to the mother, the man assaulted her daughter after taking her out for a motorcycle ride.
"My daughter said he gave her ice cream, took her to his residence and sexually assaulted her".
The mother further stated that she was not aware of the kind of man he was while she was romantically involved with him.
"I even filled out the form to marry him, but we got separated after some disputes at the beginning of Ramadan. I did not know he had assaulted my child at the time. I found out about it after I cut him off".
Moreover, the girl's brothers aged 13 and 16 are also suspected of sexually abusing her. However, the mother stated that she had not witnessed such a scenario.
"She [the girl] never said anything bad about them. However, she always does say they touch her," the mother explained.
Following the submission of the case to police on May 10, the little girl has been removed from her mother's care and placed under the custody of a family member.
The mother expressed sadness over this, asserting that she never had the intention of harming any of her children.
Due to the nature of the case, Police and Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services refrained from disclosing any details that would reveal the minor's identity, including the island she is from.
A few months ago, a 75-year-old male was arrested from a southern island over allegations of sexually abusing three siblings. However, he was later released.
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