14 year old boy sails to Male' on stolen boat to 'save girlfriend from violence'

A 14 year old boy has travelled to Male' from an island in Meemu atoll on a stolen speedboat alone during the late hours of last night.

Reports state that the boy had travelled with the intention of 'saving his girlfriend from violence'.

The boy had stolen a speedboat owned by the Cinnamon Hakura Resort which was moored in his island's lagoon. He had sailed it himself to Hulhumale'.

A resident of the island told Mihaaru that the family had reported the boy missing last night and a search had been commenced.

This morning, the crew of the speedboat had separately lodged a complaint regarding their vessel going missing.

The person who spoke to Mihaaru cited information from Police and said the boy had travelled to Hulhumale' first. The speedboat, too, has now been located.

"The family has reported the boy as missing to police. It is only through police that we learned the boy had travelled to Male'. What we have heard is the boy travelled to Hulhumale' on the speedboat, and then left it there and went on his way," they said.

"There is no robbery or thieving or any such issues on this island at all. It is a man from this island that is the captain of that speedboat. He left the keys in when he moored the boat. That's a very usual thing in this island."

The resident dismissed local media reports that the boy had travelled to Male' to meet up with his girlfriend.

"The boy went to Male' because there were allegations of abuse from within the family of his girlfriend. Turns out this boy went with the intention of saving the girl," they said.

The boy has not been found yet. Reports indicate the girl said to be his girlfriend has also since gone missing.

The speedboat has been taken by police now and is moored in Dhoonidhoo. A crew member posted on social media that there are major damages caused to the vessel.