Woman lured to guesthouse via Facebook and raped; Man sentenced to 15 years

The Criminal Court has sentenced a young man to 15 years in prison after finding him guilty of establishing a connection with a woman via Facebook, taking her to a guesthouse in Malé, and raping her.

In this case, the state pressed rape charges against Ismail Jumaan of Kaduroalhi, L. Maabaidhoo.

According to the charges filed by the state, around 5:00 AM on March 23, 2022, Ismail Jumaan raped the victim against her will inside a room at "Real Inn" guesthouse, located at H. Landhooge in K. Malé.

He was charged under Article 14(c), in reference to Article 14(a), of the Sexual Offences Act.

Denying the charges during the trial, Ismail Jumaan claimed that he was in a romantic relationship with the woman at the time and that they had gone to the guesthouse to talk after going out for a motorcycle ride at dawn.

He denied committing any such act as alleged in the charges.

However, in her testimony, the victim stated that she knew Ismail Jumaan from Facebook.

She testified that after going out for a motorcycle ride that day, they entered the guesthouse room, and while she was sitting on the bed, he grabbed her by the neck, forcibly removed her clothes, and raped her.

Her testimony further noted that despite repeatedly begging him to stop and telling him she was in pain, Jumaan only ceased the assault after she agreed to marry him.

Furthermore, testimony from a friend confirmed that shortly after the incident, the victim recounted what had happened to her while crying.

Additionally, the medico-legal report from IGMH (Indira Gandhi Memorial Hospital) and the doctor's testimony confirmed that the victim had bruise marks on her neck and proved that she had been subjected to non-consensual, forced sexual intercourse.

Moreover, the police forensic DNA report revealed that Ismail Jumaan’s DNA was found on samples taken from various parts of the victim’s body and the clothes she was wearing.

Taking this evidence into account, Criminal Court Judge Muzammil Nasir ruled that both the physical (actus reus) and mental (mens rea) elements of the crime of rape were proven against Jumaan beyond a reasonable doubt.

Finding him guilty, the court sentenced him to 15 years in prison under the Sexual Offences Act.