Five individuals including the father of a 13-year-old girl have been arrested over a case of sexually abusing the said teenager.

Police Media Spokesperson Senior DIG Ajith Rohana said that the arrests have been made over a case of sexually abusing an under-aged girl by 10 persons.

Five suspects, including a woman who aided and abetted the crime and the father of the teen, had been arrested in Nawalapitiya yesterday (July 14).

They had been produced before the Nawalapitiya Magistrate’s Court before being placed under remand custody.

Police investigations are underway to arrest six other suspects who are currently absconding, the Police Spokesman said.

Meanwhile, a total of 41 suspects have been arrested over the controversial case of selling a 15-year-old girl online for sexual exploitation reported from Mount Lavinia.

The perpetrators had posted several advertisements online and sold the teen to third parties for a period of three months. Over a dozen of the suspects in custody had procured the girl for sexual exploitation, according to the law enforcement authorities.

Among the arrestees are the mother of the victimized teen, the vice-chairman of Mihintale Pradeshiya Sabha, vehicle drivers, the man who designed the advertisement and a saffron-robed person, a captain of a ship, several crew members, a gem merchant, four owners of websites that had published the advertisement, former Maldivian State Minister Mohamed Ashmalee, the manager of the hotel used by the perpetrators to exploit the teen, a cardiologist of a well-known hospital, a surgeon of Sri Lanka Navy, a former bank manager, and a police officer.