Commissioner of Police Mohamed Hameed has revealed two people have been arrested allegedly hiding the 14-year-old boy who went missing from a state-owned children's shelter. However, the commissioner did not reveal the identities of the suspects.
In a tweet, Hameed said it is not only a responsibility of law enforcement authorities to rehabilitate children who have been tied to crime and reintroduce them into society, but rather an effort that needs the support of all citizens.
Last Monday, police forcefully entered in to a house in Male' City and took the 14 year old boy into custody. The 14-year-old boy went missing from the children's shelter in Villimale' on May 18.
Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services revealed the missing child had fled the shelter once before. The police later found him during an investigation of a criminal case and was handed over to the children's shelter.
The gender ministry stated he was kept in the shelter for a second time as there are no establishments in Maldives to keep children found from crime scenes or tied to crimes.
Minister of Gender, Family and Social Services Shidhatha Shareef was summoned to a closed parliamentary committee meeting to seek information on a child who went missing while under the custody of the government.
Although the boy has been taken in to state custody for a third time, the authorities have not revealed where he is currently kept.