Abusing War Affected Children: Suspected Paedophile Buddhist Monk Was Granted A Non-Conditional Bail

January 2, 2014

In October 2013 Buddhist monk Kalyana Tissa of the Seth Sevana Lama Nivasa of Attambagaskanda, Vavuniya was arrested for sexually abusing a 9 year old child. The Buddhist monk was kept in remand custody and medical evidence confirmed the sexual abuse of the child on 12.10.2013. Subsequently the custody of the remaining 22 children of the children’s home was taken by the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) on 15.10.2013. Fearing that the remaining children may have also been sexually abused the Vavuniya magistrate requested the medical examination of the 22 children. Through the court order the suspect remained in custody. However on 31.12.2013 the suspected monk was granted a non-conditional bail on the basis that the Attorney General Department (AG), on the instructions of the NCPA has informed court that it has no objections for the suspect to be granted bail.  The next hearing is to be on the 11^th of February.

Kalyana Tissa

Most of the children at this home are victims of war. These children have been placed in this home to ensure their education, safety and care by family members who are unable to provide the same for these children. Some of these children have lost their fathers in the war, their mothers are daily wage laborers who work in jobs such as stone breaking and barely earn a living.  These mothers placed their children hoping they would have a better chance at life through education and hoping for their care and protection.  In such a context how far these children’s rights and lives are being protected by the head of this home is a question.  Even though the children in the Seth Sevana Lama Nivasa are Tamil, they have been enrolled in Kaatumankulam Govt.  Sinhala mixed school. Their right to learn their mother tongue, practice their religion and culture, the protection of their ethnic identity has been violated and they are being compelled to assimilate into a Sinhala Buddhist cultural and ethnic identiy. Upon receipt of complaint from the civil society and others an exhaustive investigation was carried out by Vavuniya NCPA child protection officer, probation officer, public health inspector and the police and they jointly submitted a report on 29.11.2010 to NCPA head office.  But due to NCPA’s irresponsible investigation it has risked a group of young vulnerable children continue to suffer emotional and psychological abuses.

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