President Dr Mohamed Muizzu has directed the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology and the Ministry of Health to implement the recommendations outlined in the final report of the Special Presidential Commission regarding the incident in Malé on April 18, 2025.

The President’s instructions to the Ministry of Homeland Security and Technology raised multiple concerns regarding the Maldives Police Service’s handling of the case, including:

• An estimated one-hour delay in informing the investigation officer about the fall of Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed onto the roof of H. Mitaz, which resulted in the officer arriving at the scene only after the Scene of Crime Officer had already collected evidence.

• The absence of an investigation officer during crime scene processing, leading to the failure to collect critical evidence and comprehensive information required for the investigation.

• Negligence by the Scene of Crime Officer, who failed to adequately process the crime scene, neglected essential duties, and vacated the area hastily.

• No effort was made to collect evidence from the roof of H. Mitaz, a crucial incident site, and the crime scene perimeter was neither secured nor protected.

The President instructed the immediate implementation of the Commission’s recommendations, including revising police Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), conducting staff training, investigating employee negligence, and enforcing disciplinary action to prevent recurrence of such failures.

The President also ordered the enforcement of measures to ensure full compliance with the Commission’s recommendations. The Commission called for a comprehensive investigation into the events of the morning of April 18, citing inconsistencies in statements given by Daudh Ahmed to the police and the Commission. Witness testimonies placed Daudh at H. Maira, where he was seen answering the door to meet Raudh Ahmed Zilal, thereby implicating him in the incident and exposing false testimony.

The Commission also found that leaving Yumnu without medical assistance after her fall onto the roof of H. Mitaz was unacceptable, even from a humanitarian standpoint. They concluded that Daudh and others who interacted with Raudh at H. Maira following the incident shared responsibility for failing to report it to the appropriate authorities.

The President’s instructions to the Ministry of Health addressed several shortcomings at Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital (IGMH) and its Family Protection Unit (FPU), which fall under the Ministry’s jurisdiction:

• ICU staff at IGMH requested that the Family Protection Unit (FPU) assess Yumnu for possible sexual abuse after she was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. However, FPU staff failed to follow the clear procedures set out in their SOPs, and the assessment was never conducted. The Commission expressed concern over this lapse, noting that hospital doctors should be empowered to carry out such examinations at the request of the victim’s family, even without FPU involvement.

• The Commission recommended strengthening administrative protocols at the FPU. They advised that any young woman brought into IGMH emergency care as a potential victim must be assessed for visible external injuries, with any marks photographed. Where sexual abuse is suspected, forensic samples such as vaginal, anal, and buccal swabs should promptly be collected during the initial diagnosis.

In light of these findings, the President instructed the Ministry of Health to take all necessary measures to enhance administrative protocols at IGMH and its Family Protection Unit, ensuring that such oversights are not repeated.