Maamendhoo man arrested for sexual assault

A man suspected of sexually assaulting a woman from the Maamendhoo island in Gaaf Alif atoll was arrested Friday night.

The suspect was taken into custody with an arrest warrant shortly after the incident was reported, a police spokesman told Raajje TV. Police said that contrary to media reports the victim was not raped.

According to the island council president, the 18-year-old woman was forced into a dark alley and groped while she was on her way home from a shop. She required treatment and counselling at the Gaaf Alif atoll hospital.

Some 417 cases of sexual assault were reported to police last year.

Earlier this year, a women’s rights group criticised the lack of government action following three high-profile sexual assault cases reported by the media.