Sun Online reports that the male suspect in the child abuse case was above 65 years of age while the victim was only 10 years-old.

Local daily Haveeru however reports the girl as aged 11 and mentally unstable. Moreover, the newspaper claims that three witnesses saw the abuse late afternoon yesterday.

Landhoo Councillor Mohamed Fayaz told Haveeru that the suspect had left the island by ferry before police arrived in Landhoo today.

An islander from Landhoo meanwhile told Sun Online that the suspect had previously attempted to pay an under-age girl in exchange for sexual favours and had reportedly fled to nearby Mandhoo.

In the other case, a 16 year-old boy has been accused of attempting to sexually assault his aunt today while her husband was attending dawn prayers.

According to the councillor, the boy fled the scene when his approximately 50 year-old aunt woke up to his touching and started screaming.