The Family Protection Authority (FPA) has revealed that rape evidence kits, essential for collecting samples from victims of sexual offenses or children to confirm allegations, are currently available at only two hospitals in the Maldives.
In a statement to the Human Rights and Gender Committee of the People’s Majlis, FPA CEO Aminath Shiranee Naeem discussed the authority’s reports from last year and this year, prepared under the Sexual Offences Act. She said that on average there is one sexual offense case in every 8 complaints received by the FPA. 
The only two hospitals that have rape kits in the country are Hulhumale Hospital and Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital. Shirani also noted that there is a single health worker, at Kulhudhuffushi Regional Hospital, who has been trained in victim centred and trauma-informed approaches.
She added that FPA met with Health Minister Abdulla Nazim Ibrahim this month to address the issue. The ministry plans to ensure rape evidence kits are available across the entire health sector by the end of this year and that all the hospitals will begin staff training in victim-centric and trauma-informed approaches to help victims in such cases.
Shirani said that when the FPA met with the ministry, they had noted that even though the hospitals did not have a specific set named for it, all the items required for the testing will be available in all the hospitals. 
Nasra Adil, Director of the FPA’s Advocacy and Research Department, expressed concern: “The problem is that the items needed for a rape kit are available in different parts of the hospital, and this delays critical services for victims of sexual offenses, which must be provided promptly.”
Top officials of the Family Protection Authority (FPA) at People's Majlis committee meeting held on Wednesday, 23 July 2025. (Photo/Parliament)
Under the Sexual Offenses Act, forensic investigations of sexual crimes require identifying the offender through specific kits, and with the victim’s consent. The law mandates collecting at least seven samples, including:
Hair from the scalp and genital areas (front and back)
Blood and urine
Clothes of the victim 
Nail and subungual (under nail) samples
Genital and anal samples
Oral sample
Sample taken from other parts of the body, externally
The FPA is tasked with the regulation of rape evidence kits. The law also requires health care providers not to charge for samples obtained using rape evidence kits, and to make the kits available to health care providers within six months of the law’s entry into force.
In addition, the law also stipulates that every government-run health care facility must have a doctor or nurse trained in the use of rape evidence kits, and samples must be collected by those who have received the training.
Although there are many cases of sexual assault in Maldives, such cases are rarely reported. According to police statistics, 319 cases of sexual offenses were reported in 2024, up from 293 cases reported in 2023. So far this year, 135 cases of sexual offenses have been reported.