Dozens of people gathered and broke the window of a flat in reclaimed suburb Hulhumale' on Friday, where the father of the sexually abused two-year-old child is said to reside.
According to local media and witness reports, angry citizens began to gather in the late afternoon, calling for either the man to be arrested or handed over to the crowd.
The crowd did not disperse despite the police's attempts, including the use of pepper spray. Per local media, police officers in riot gear are currently active on the scene.
Although some people claimed that the victim's father has not been arrested due to delays in issuing an arrest warrant, the police have not made any official comments yet.
The sexual abuse case of the two-year-old child surfaced this Thursday when the police announced their investigation. The police arrested two elderly men, said to be the victim's grandfather and great-grandfather, on Friday afternoon. Meanwhile, the child has been removed from her family in the island of Kanduhulhudhoo, Gaafu Alif Atoll, and taken into state care.
Posts shared on social media allege that the child's parents were substance abusers, and that she had been raped by her father, grandfather and great-grandfather. Local media Mihaaru corroborated the allegations, based on sources from the island.
Police later arrested some of the protestors during clashes.