Maldives Police establishes a Family and Child Protection Wing

Maldives Police Service, on Tuesday, announced it has made significant structural changes within the institution, including establishing a Family and Child Protection Wing and creating additional departments and units under the wing.

The structural changes took effect on Sunday, June 14.

According to a statement issued by the police, the biggest structural change was to remove Forensic Services from under the Specialist Support Directorate, and establish a separate Forensic Services Directorate under which the work and departments and units of Forensic Services have been structured.

Maldives Police Service has also established a Family and Child Protection Wing. The work of its Family and Child Protection Department has been transferred to the wing, and the work has been restructured and expanded into multiple departments and units.

The new departments include Family and Child Protection Department, Crimes Against Children Department, Juvenile Offenses Department, and Family and Gender Affairs Department.

FAMILY AND CHILD PROTECTION WING

The Family and Child Protection Wing is mandated to investigate crimes against children by adults, investigate crimes committed by children, investigate domestic violence and gender-based violence, investigate abuse and neglect of the elderly by their caretakers, to send cases to the Prosecutor General’s Office for charges, and to oversee the work of departments involved in investigation of such cases, and to oversee and monitor the projects and programs run in association with government institutions and local and international organizations related to the work of the departments.

CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN DEPARTMENT

The Crimes Against Children Department is mandated to investigate cases of physical, emotional and sexual abuse of children, cases of missing children, cases of exploitation of children, cases of coercion and threats against children, to work in association with child rights activists and organizations, and to provide directive on cases within the mandate of the department reported from the atolls.

JUVENILE OFFENSES DEPARTMENT

The Juvenile Offenses Department is mandated to investigate crimes committed by juveniles, to collaborate with relevant institutions to provide juvenile offenders with counseling, to collaborate with the Juvenile Justice Department to send juvenile offenders to the Correctional Training Center for Children, to collaborate with relevant institutions to monitor the condition of juvenile offenders, and to provide directive on cases within the mandate of the department reported from the atolls.

FAMILY AND GENDER AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT

The Family and Gender Affairs Department is mandated to investigate cases of domestic violence and cases of abuse and neglect of the elderly by caretakers, to collaborate with relevant institutions and organizations in response to such cases, and to provide directive on cases within the mandate of the department reported from the atolls.

Additional structural changes include the creation of an Investigation Development Unit under Crime Investigation Command, and transferring the Victim Support Department to Crime Investigation Command.

The Victim Support Department is mandated to assist victims of crimes, and provide victims with necessary services while maintaining confidentiality. The department is also mandated to provide psychological support to all parties involved in crimes where necessary, not just victims.

Additionally, the Anti-Human Trafficking Department has been transferred to Serious and Organized Crime Wing, the General Investigations Department has also been transferred to Serious and Organized Crime Wing, and the Victim Centered and Volume Crimes Wing has been dissolved.