Sexual Abuse Survivor Now Safe, Says Uncle Who is Fighting for Justice

The 17-year-old victim of a sexual abuse case involving her stepfather and uncle-in-law in Noonu Atoll is now in a safe location, according to her uncle, who has been publicly seeking justice over delays in the case. He claims her mother and her aunt are trying to cover up the abuse.

He added that he got the courage to go public with this case after witnessing the public rally behind the 21-year-old woman who fell from a building in Male’ late April.

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Due to the victim being a minor, names and locations relevant to the case are not mentioned to ensure the victim’s privacy.

Today, MV+ spoke to her uncle, 27, the focal contact for the family with the authorities regarding this case. He said the girl is no longer living with her mother and is living with another aunt in the Greater Male’ Area. Her father is up to date with the case and is working towards obtaining legal custody of his daughter. 

“I am getting a lot of support online. I thought I was mostly alone in this; only a couple of close friends and a few family members were supportive at first. I have gotten death threats from some family members because I am being vocal about this,” he told MV+.

He mentions that even though he was hesitant at first, he got the courage to come forward with this topic publicly after witnessing the support from the youth and the public rallying for justice for the 21-year-old woman who fell from a building in mid-April.

Since launching the petition on Change.org two days ago, he has collected over 2,455 signatures. He plans to visit his island on the 14th and 15th of this month to collect physical signatures from the residents for his petition.

He accuses his sister, who is a social worker and the aunt of this girl, of using her influence to cover up her husband’s involvement in the abuse of his niece and to slow the case’s progress. The case was initially reported to the Ministry of Social and Family Development, says the uncle, and was later diverted to the police, as this falls within their mandate. He says this case has been reported officially since January 13 of this year.

The police revealed last Monday to the media that they had received a report to the North Police Region (Noonu, Raa, Baa, and Lhaviyani Atolls) of some people in trusted positions sexually abusing a 17-year-old. They said this case was reported to them on January 20, and no person has been arrested in relation to this case yet. The police also added that they are collaborating with relevant authorities on the investigation. 

However, it remains unclear whether this is the same case, as details of abuse cases involving minors are not disclosed.

Additionally, Lahufa Khaleel, Deputy Minister at the Ministry of Social and Family Development, stated that the ministry has voluntarily launched its inquiry into the allegations against a staff member connected with the case (the victim’s aunt.)

“In cases where the ministry finds that a child is being subjected to any kind of harassment by a staff member or that the staff is negligent towards the child, the ministry will take the case under inquiry voluntarily, and continue to work within the legal framework,” she said. 

The Ministry also revealed that they reported the case to the police.

Family Cover-Ups, Small Town Politics, and Delayed Justice

The uncle fighting for justice said the 17-year-old girl first started getting vulgar comments, inappropriate touches and assault from her stepfather when she was 15 years old. 

Her uncle-in-law started sexually abusing her when she was 16, he said. 

Although the family is aware of the abuse his niece suffered, they are working to suppress and cover up the case, he said. In his post on Instagram, he shared that his father threw him out of the house after finding out he was working to bring justice for his niece. 

Her aunt, his sister, was initially suspended from her position in the ministry when they filed a case requesting it, citing suspicion of exerting influence on the case. He said he found out two weeks later that she was back at her job. 

He also said they requested that the initial Investigative Officer assigned to this case be changed, as he believed the officer’s close ties to the other people involved in this case may lead to a conflict of interest in investigating this case. This was granted, and the Atoll Commander was the lead investigator on this case later. 

However, after he shared a slip regarding the investigation online, he said the Atoll Commander informed him that he would not be provided more details regarding this case. They would only let him know whether the case is progressing or not. 

“Disturbingly, the child’s mother is also defending her current husband (the child’s stepfather), who has been accused of abusing the same girl at a separate location,” he said in the Change.org petition.

“Despite the gravity of the case and public knowledge of these accusations, both women continue to live with and protect the alleged abusers. One remains in active duty, tasked with safeguarding the very children she has failed to stand up for — while the victim is left isolated and silenced.”

The petition calls for three main things:

• The ⁠termination of the officer’s employment, 
• An independent investigation into this case and the handling of it by local authorities.
•  Protection and justice for the survivor.

He is very grateful for the support and hopes his visit to the island will lead to more people signing his petition as well.