An 11-year-old girl has been raped at a guesthouse in Male’ City.

Maldives Police Service confirmed that a report of a rape of an 11-year-old girl inside a guesthouse on 10 June 2020 has been reported to the police and is currently under investigation. While no arrests have been made in the case so far, the assailant is a man above the age of 18.

Last month, there was rape of a girl under the age of 16 after bringing her to Male’ City after lying about her age. Police said that a search was launched after she was reported missing and was found inside a guesthouse in the city with another man.

And a 24-year-old man was arrested in connection to the case on 30 May 2020. The man, who has a criminal record with the police, was arrested in suspicion of deceiving the victim and the family of the victim to blackmail and rape.

Police said that the investigation learned that the parents of the child victim sent her to the capital to stay with someone they did not know.

The Maldives Police Service has advised cation during this unprecedented time to ensure children are protect from those who seek to exploit them via the internet and not to send children out with strangers.

Authorities have advised to report such cases to the Family and Child Protective Service of the Police by calling 3000-600 and 9790-163 or the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services hotline 1412.