An Indian Quran teacher has been arrested in the Meedhoo district of Addu City on suspicion of sexually abusing an under-age female student.
Local daily Haveeru reported yesterday that the 35 year-old suspect taught Quran at the privately owned Shamshudeen Centre for Islamic Studies and that the victim was a grade nine student at the Seenu Atoll School.
Police have confirmed the arrest but declined to divulge any further information.
A resident of Meedhoo told the newspaper that family members of the victim allegedly assaulted the expatriate after the girl said that he had sexually abused her repeatedly on different occasions.
Police reportedly took the Quran teacher into custody around 10:30am on Friday following the confrontation with the family members of the alleged victim.
Under the Child Sex Offenders (Special Provisions) Act of 2009, the penalty for child sex abuse is 10-14 years but can be extended to 15-18 years if the accused was in a position of trust with the children he or she abused.
In August 2010, police arrested renowned Quran teacher and Qari (Quran reciter), Hussain Thaufeeq, on multiple charges of child sex abuse.
