A man charged with sexually assaulting a child with disabilities has been freed after the court determined that the allegations were unsubstantiated.

The matter involves the purported sexual assault of a 14-year-old girl in 2023 on an island located south of Male’. The prosecution brought two charges against a man who is a relative of the child.

He faced two charges of preparing a child for sexual acts and deliberately touching a child's body with sexual motivation.

The island's magistrate determined that both allegations were unproven, resulting in the man's discharge. He had been detained while awaiting trial. If found guilty, the two crimes have a minimum penalty of 20 years in prison.

It is still uncertain if the prosecution will challenge the decision in the High Court. Records indicate that throughout the trial, multiple rulings were contested in favor of the defendant, yet the High Court declined to take the case.