Following the circulation of a video of a woman being arrested in the Maldives on Thursday due to "indecent exposure," the Maldives Police Service has offered an apology to the British tourist.
Cecilia Jastrzembska was enjoying a beach day on Maafushi island when three officers arrested her for wearing a bikini. The video shows Jastrzembska repeatedly accusing the officers of "sexually assaulting" her as they attempted to handcuff her. During the video, a man offers a sarong to Jastrzembska, presumably to appease the officers.
According to a press release from the police, the officers had received complaints from other beachgoers that Jastrzembska was "inappropriately clad." The press release also claims that the officers had initially asked the woman "to comply with the local regulations." She had allegedly refused and was then detained.
Jastrzembska was released later that day without charges.
It is alleged that Jastrzembska was inebriated at the time of her arrest. After the video had gone viral, the Maldives Police Service received backlash for how the three officers had handled the situation.
The Maldives's beaches are a popular draw for tourists; however, the Islamic nation asks visitors to dress modestly outside of resorts "as a sign of respect to the community." Maafushi houses some private tourist beaches that allow bikinis, but Maldivian law does not permit the swimwear on other beaches.
Authorities released a statement on Twitter, stating that "tourists on local islands are requested to respect the community's cultural sensitives and local regulations by restricting the wearing of swimwear to certain areas of the island," before apologizing for the "regretful manner in which this incident took place."
Commissioner Mohamed Hameed further added on Twitter, "I apologize to the tourist & the public for this. The challenge I have taken up is to professionalize the police service & we are working on that."
The police service is reportedly launching an investigation into the incident to ensure that no "disproportionate measures" are taken in the future.
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