A 23-year-old has been arrested in connection to a case of a pregnant minor.

Maldives Police Service (MPS) made the arrest under a court order on Friday, and the Maldivian man was arrested under accusations of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old.

Police received the report of the 17-year-old rape victim’s condition after a health center in an island in the Central Police Division reported to the authorities on July 1.

Authorities have since revealed that the rape case is being investigated by an investigation team from the police Crime Against Children Department, in collaboration with the Ministry of Gender, Family and Social Services.

The number of sexual assault cases being reported of recent has spiked, following the case of a Kenyan woman getting sexually assaulted by two local men, surfaced from a safari boat docked off the coast of Hulhumalé.

This has stirred public outcry, with groups of protestors taking to the streets to call for the rights of children as well as justice for rape victims.