A video in which a woman with a British accent struggles as Maldives police try to wrap a towel around her, dragging her away from the beach, went viral on social media.
The woman was arrested on the non-resort island of Maafushi, part of the Kaafu atoll in the Indian Ocean nation.
A tourist woman has been harrassed by the public and then manhandled by the police before being arrested for wearing a bikini in public in the #SunnySideOfLife. This follows the wake of multiple stabbing attacks of tourists by Islamic State in the #Maldives #TerroristWatchMv pic.twitter.com/7y3nJ3EDCm
— (ℒ)❓?މުރުތައްދު މުޖޫ އަލް މަލްދީފީ (@mujunaeem) February 6, 2020
As they struggle to put her in handcuffs, she can be heard shouting in English: “You are sexually assaulting me,” while others watch her helplessly resist the arrest.
A tourist wearing a bikini on a beach in the Maldives is arrested and forcibly wrapped in a towel by beach cops enforcing Sharia attire even as they take liberties touching the woman all over her body.
— Tarek Fatah (@TarekFatah) February 8, 2020
pic.twitter.com/DZnFW3ql0w
Police said they received a complaint from a member of the public that a woman was “inappropriately clad” and “inebriated” while walking on the island’s main road.
Maldives is a tourist place and solely depended on tourism. Tourists will be in bikinis, if they wanted to. WTF.
— Manohar M (@TweeterManohar) February 7, 2020
No one will ever want to visit Maldives, after seeing this. SHAME
The arrest prompted Maldives Police Service Commissioner Mohamed Hameed to make a public apology where he said: “Incident in Maafushi in which our officers restrained a female tourist seems to be badly handled.
“I apologize to the tourist and the public for this. The challenge I have taken up is to professionalize the police service and we are working on that."
Incident in Maafushi in which our officers restrained a female tourist seems to be badly handled. I apologise to the tourist & the public for this. The challenge I have taken up is to professionalise the police service & we are working on that. This matter is being investigated.
— Mohamed Hameed (@M_Hameedh) February 6, 2020
According to the country's local news, the woman was arrested for "indecent exposure."
It reported that police suspected the woman to be under the influence of alcohol.
Meanwhile in Maldives:
— Lifeisprecious ? ?????? (@LifeispreciousB) February 7, 2020
1: Expats/Tourists being stabbed by extremists who threaten more terror attacks soon
2: A tourist on a local island is treated like this just because she is wearing a bikini
3: 25% of male youth using heroin
What’s the Maldivian delegation got to say? pic.twitter.com/HWyDV9XEwM
Local news reported that while Maafushi is a popular tourist location, wearing bikinis is "strictly prohibited" on local islands. It is permitted in holiday resorts.
Welcome to Maldives! as a tourist you’re allowed to; disrespect traditions & cultures, break laws, physically assault people, oh and if our law enforcers stop you, our CP will immediately apologize for it. Because we’re a bunch of spineless losers living on bikini money. ☀️??
— Thas (@thaxlym) February 8, 2020
“Tourists on local islands are requested to respect the community’s cultural sensitivities and local regulations by restricting the wearing of swimwear to certain areas of the island where local communities live,” police said.
An inquiry into the incident has been launched to ensure “disproportionate measures are not implemented in such situations.”
