Maldives Reform Movement has expressed concern that the withdrawal of seven sexual assault and rape charges against former Tourism Minister Ali Waheed has given further encouragement to those who commit such crimes.
The prosecutor’s office said in a statement that the charges were sent back to the prosecutor’s office on September 22, 2022 after the state failed to bring Ali Waheed back for the trial. Therefore, the case was sent back to the police on October 6. 2022 by the prosecutor’s office to be refiled when Ali Waheed returns back.
In a statement, the MRM said it was deeply concerned that the charges against Ali Waheed had been withdrawn and the victims had lost their opportunity to get justice.
The party said such cases are delayed and the plaintiffs withdraw the case as they don’t see any progress with the cases.
Although laws and regulations are in place to provide safety and protection to citizens from abuse and insults, victims of sexual assault and rape rarely receive enough evidence to bring them to justice through their complaints. The party also said that making laws and regulations that do not deal with the cases will not achieve any purpose.
The MRM has also called for the establishment of a system to protect witnesses through the criminal justice system to prevent the repetition of sexual assault and sexual harassment cases.
The party has also called on all concerned to take necessary steps to overcome the challenges faced by women in accessing justice.
The Prosecutor General’s Office charged the suspect Ali Waheed with a total of seven counts of sexual offences at the Criminal Court of the Maldives. These being;
- One count of sexual abuse under article 16 of the Sexual Offences Act (17/2014)
- One count of attempted rape under article 15 of the Sexual Offences Act (17/2014)
- One count of indecent exposure under article 132 of The Constitution of Maldives
- One count of sexual harassment under article 18 of the Sexual Offences Act (17/2014)
- One count of attempted sexual abuse under article 19 of the Sexual Offences Act (17/2014)
- Two counts of unlawful sexual contact under article 81 and 412 of Maldives Penal Code 9/2014.
In addition to the sexual harassment case, Ali Waheed is also under investigation by the Anti Corruption Commission (ACC) regarding eight different issues which were highlighted in the compliance report published by the Auditor General’s Office, concerning the expenses made by the Ministry of Tourism with regards to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
