Sri Lanka’s children fast becoming victims of adult industry

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  People have forgotten that child abuse is a punishable offence under the Penal Code
• Impose capital punishment on child abusers
• NCPA formulate guidelines on children’s reality TV shows

Sri Lanka has become an unsafe place for children. Even with a National Child Protection Authority (NCPA), Women’s and Children’s Affairs Ministry and a Child Protection Unit at the Attorney General’s Department the number of child abuse cases reported for 2020 has exceeded 5000.

4 August 2020

Statistically speaking 142 incidents of rape, 42 incidents of serious sexual abuse and 54 cases of child abuse were reported during the first 15 days of 2020.

These events happen even 29 years after Sri Lanka ratified the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child in 1991. Within a span of two weeks, several incidents of child abuse, molestation and harassments were reported with four children succumbing to brutalities. The main suspect who abused a 10-year-old girl in Puttalam has fled and search operations are still underway. One of the incidents that made headlines was one involving a conman who appeared as an English teacher, but is reportedly working in the production set of a children’s reality TV show. He has not only befriended children, but have abused them, created videos and inve

stigations are underway to crack more details. On Saturday an eight year old boy in Galewela was sexually abused and killed. It is in this backdrop that Sri Lanka needs to take a look at protecting the child as a fundamental step of establishing national security. 

During the recent past there had been a growing amount of statutory rape (sexual intercourse with a minor usually an underage child of 16 years or below, with or without the consent) and about 3% of that was conventional rape

DIG Ajith Rohana

 

Responsibilities ignored

As an organisation dedicated to end cruelty against children, the Stop Child Cruelty Trust is making awareness on the matter through the recently launched #JustSayNo campaign at a national level. During a recently held online discussion, Chairperson of the Trust Dr. Tush Wickramanayake questioned the role of the Police as the primary law enforcing body in the country. In response, former Police Spokesperson DIG Ajith Rohana said that the Women’s and Children’s Desk was established after studying how women and children have been victimised for years. “Therefore apart from the main office there are 42 Women’s and Children’s desks at a provincial level with over 494 branches islandwide. During the recent past there had been a growing amount of statutory rape (sexual intercourse with a minor usually an underage child of 16 years or below, with or without the consent) and about 3% of that was conventional rape. This doesn’t mean we have to ignore the matter. We have appointed women police officers to take down complaints and the Police acts according to the powers vested within the Constitution,” added DIG Rohana. 

He further said that parents and teachers have a bigger responsibility. “Parents should keep an eye on their daughter who’s staying for extra classes, who’s going for swimming etc. 90% of incidents could be reduced if they could pay more attention. According to a census done in Anuradhapura and Ratnapura most parents leave their children with relatives and recently it was revealed that 70% of the time, rape, abuse and molestation was done by a known person. Parents need to look into a child’s wellbeing. Having said that, the Police would further strengthen the relevant desks and equip women officers with more resources so that they could get hold of the culprits,” said DIG Rohana. 

DIG Rohana concluded by saying that both drug users and child abusers should be given capital punishment as that is an effective way of sending a message to the society. 

A forgotten Penal Code

According to the NCPA Act No. 50 of 1998, the Authority can advise the Government on measures for the prevention of child abuse, protection and treatment of victims of child abuse, create awareness on the right of a child, monitor the progress of investigations among many other functions. However, Prof. Harendra Silva, founder Chairman of the NCPA attributes the sudden spike in child abuse cases to the prolonged curfew period. “Parents were home and because they found the child to be a bit naughty the child may have been subject to physical and emotional abuse. With financial difficulties the men would have vented their anger on the spouse and the spouse would have vented all frustrations out from the child. Most fathers who were unemployed would have been home and taking to drinks. There was less availability of drugs and alcohol and it could be another trigger why sexual abuse increased. Apart from that extended families too were home and the child’s ability to escape would have been restricted.” he explained. 

He further said that the law enforcing authorities such as the Police may not have had time to investigate as they were tasked with checking on curfew violators. “But child abuse is more important than curfew violations. As a result complainants may not have had a chance to report their complaints. However people have also forgotten that child abuse is a punishable offense under the Penal Code. Therefore people even tend to settle the matter outside courts and this could leave room for corruption. The Attorney General’s Department too could add pressure by taking note of complaints. But what I have realised is that people become unpopular when they take perpetrators to justice. Yet, popularity is something that needs to be kept aside in these matters.” said Prof. Silva. 
Speaking on enacting the law, Prof. Silva said that many judgements relating to child abuse cases were given between 1999 and 2005. “It’s a responsibility of the government to ensure that the legal process takes place properly,” he said. 

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The Attorney General’s Department too could add pressure by taking note of complaints. But what I have realised is that people become unpopular when they take perpetrators to justice

Prof. Harendra