Rising Child Sexual Abuse Reports Challenging Due to Late Complaints: Police

Police in the Maldives are urging the public to report cases of child sexual abuse immediately, as delays in filing complaints continue to hinder investigations despite an increase in reported cases. Superintendent Mohamed Shareef, head of the Police Crime Against Children Department, emphasized during a press conference that timely reporting is crucial for successful outcomes. Authorities note that many cases remain underreported, and those that do reach police often come long after the abuse has occurred. Shareef highlighted that late reporting is not limited to child sexual abuse but also affects domestic violence and blackmail cases. The police are actively conducting targeted operations to curb child grooming, with ten cases currently under investigation. So far this year, 266 cases of sexual offenses and 298 cases of domestic violence have been reported.