It is reported that on February 6, when Cecilia was walking on a street in Maafushi, wearing a bikini, several police officers asked her to "cover up" her body, but she flatly refused. So she was arrested and detained by the police. In the video, three police officers tried to grab Cecilia, and another police officer tried to cover her body with a towel, while Cecilia shouted: "You are sexually assaulting her." Me!" The police eventually handcuffed her and took her away. The police said: "Visitors on local islands are asked to respect the cultural sensitivities of local communities and local regulations and restrict the wearing of swimwear to certain areas of the island where local communities live."
It is reported that the Maldives, as a tropical island country, has always been known for its beautiful scenery The famous scenery attracts many tourists, and the tourism industry is also the main source of income for the Maldives. However, the Maldives has a large number of people who believe in Islam. Previously, the Maldives government only allowed tourists to visit specific resort islands to avoid conflicts between tourists and the local Islamic population. However, in recent years, the Maldives has begun to allow foreign tourists to stay on islands inhabited by Maldivians, but it stipulates that tourists can only wear bikinis in resorts. In other places, they need to respect local culture and comply with local dress requirements.
After the video caused controversy online, Maldives Parliament Speaker Nasheed apologized to Cecilia for the incident. The police only detained her for two hours before releasing her, and Cecilia then left the Maldives. Nasheed said he hoped tourism authorities would invite her to visit again.
Police Chief Mohamed Hameed also responded that there was a problem with the way the police handled this matter and apologized to Cecilia and the public. They will make the police service better and also appeal to tourists. Local cultural sensitivities and local regulations can be respected.
