Malé, Maldives – The Criminal Court, today, has released the teenager arrested under suspicion of kidnapping and assault following advisement by the Maldives Police Service that custody may be eased.
The Maldives Police has found no proof of use of force by the suspect on the victim in CCTV footage. The police are investigating two separate video footage, one showing the two persons on a motorcycle. Police state that there was no indication of non-consent in the videos.
Police have thereby dropped the gravity of the charges from kidnapping to assault.
The suspect is released with conditions to not get permission from the police before leaving the capital city Malé, observe no contact with anyone involved in the case, not leave the suspect’s residence at night and present himself to the court when summoned.
The case initially began with an alleged kidnapping and assault of a teenage girl by her ex-boyfriend. The family of the victim claim that the perpetrator abused the girl over a long period leading up to the alleged kidnapping.
