British Man Aged 54 Arrested in Mauritius for Alleged Assault on Teenage Girl

A 54-year-old British man has been arrested in Mauritius following allegations that a teenage girl was held captive and indecently assaulted. The 17-year-old victim claimed she was held against her will by the British national and his wife, who is a lawyer, in the northern coastal village of Pereybere on Wednesday, 7 January. Following the alleged ordeal, the teenager was taken to a local hospital for treatment.

Court Proceedings and Medical Care

The suspect appeared before a court in Pamplemousses, situated in the northwest of the island, facing a provisional charge of indecent assault.

Local police have formally opposed his release on bail, and he remains in custody.

While the husband was processed by the legal system, his wife was admitted to a medical clinic in the nearby village of Grand-Baie.

Surge in British Detentions

This arrest adds to a growing list of British nationals detained on the island in recent months, many involving high-profile smuggling attempts:

• October 2025: Sinead Hart, 22, and Thomas Lee Munro, 29, were arrested at Seewoosagur Ramgoolam International Airport after arriving on an Air France flight.
• They remain behind bars after being caught with over Rs 188.4 million worth of cannabis.
• May 2025: Three British women were among nine passengers found with Rs 251.2 million worth of cannabis in their suitcases.
• June 2025: Customs officials discovered 14kg of cannabis in the luggage of a six-year-old British boy.

Global Trends

According to the charity Prisoners Abroad, there has been a significant rise in the number of British citizens arrested overseas for drug-related offences.

The charity noted that nearly half of its new cases in the past year involve drug charges, with young men and women accounting for 62% and 65% of cases respectively in 2024.

Source: Daily Mail