President orders end to public disclosure of victim support messages
The issue follows two separate incidents in which personal details were made public.
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President Mohamed Muizzu has stated that the public release of messages sent to the police Victim Support unit was a mistake and has instructed that such personal information should not be disclosed in future.
The remarks were made during a press conference at the President’s Office on Monday after questions were raised about the publication of private information in recent cases.
The issue follows two separate incidents in which personal details were made public.
In one case, police released personal information relating to Hawwa Yumnu Rasheed after an incident in April 2025 in which she fell from a building in Malé onto the roof of a nearby warehouse.
In another case, Minister of Homeland Security and Technology Ali Ihusaan publicly read messages sent to police Victim Support by a youth who later died at the hostel of Maldives National University.
The disclosures drew criticism from members of the public, mental health professionals and others who raised concerns over privacy and the possible impact on people seeking assistance.
Responding to the matter, President Muizzu said such disclosures should not occur.
He said the latest release was intended to address allegations made against police on social media, but acknowledged that the information disclosed should not have been made public.
“Limited information was shared due to certain pressures. But even that should not have been given,” he said.
The President added that he has now instructed authorities not to release similar information again, regardless of pressure.
He said the right to privacy of every individual must be protected.
