Prosecutor General (PG) Hussain Shameem has stated the PGO presses charges in court based on the evidence collected during the investigation, rather than the name and title of the person implicated.
Speaking at a press conference, PG Shameem said the charges pressed against 13 police officers alleged to have tortured children housed at the state care facility “Kudakudhinge Hiya” were pressed based on the evidence collected during the investigation. Shameem said the PGO takes no joy in pressing charges against police officers, but were left with no other option given the compelling evidence against them. He added the PGO does not check for the name and title of the person when pressing charges, noting charges are entirely based on the presented evidence.
In a statement released on the charges pressed against 13 police officers involved in the case, Maldives Police Service (MPS) stated there had been no reports of any torture or inhumane actions committed against children at the state care facility during a camp held for them by MPS and the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services in 2017, up until the charges were pressed recently. The charges were pressed following an investigation by the Human Rights Commission of the Maldives (HRCM) that some children were handcuffed and tortured during the camp.