14 August 2024 12:10 am Views - 1443
On August 12 the ‘Daily Mirror’ reported on page one the shocking story of a schoolgirl gang-raped by twenty-two fellow students! Worse the principal of the school attempted to cover up the story.
One can scarcely imagine the mental and physical trauma the young girl child was put through. First raped by her fellow students. Subsequently blackmailed by her tortures and finally let down by the very people who are her peers, and mentors. To add insult to injury, the students filmed themselves performing the despicable act.
The sad sequence of ‘incidents’ raises many questions. What type of values have we as Lankans instilled in our sons? What type of persons have been put in charge of providing education and guiding our children? The school principal was more worried about the damage to the reputation of his school than the vile acts committed by his students.
It would appear the rape was cold-bloodedly planned and executed, given that the girl was plied with alcohol and several boys were present on site when the crime was perpetrated.
MP Eran Wickramaratne speaking at the Colombo District Secretariat in October 2023 drew attention to the fact that a total of 168 rape cases of girls under the age of 16 had been reported in our country by September 2023 that year. He added, data from the Child Protection Authority showed, a total of 11,000 instances of child abuse reported in 2021.
So who is to blame for the appalling crime committed on that school girl? Is it the fault of the students alone? The parents of the perpetrators? The School Principal and the School Disciplinary Committee? Or is it the fault of the Education Department which has not vetted well enough the calibre of people they appoint as school principals?
Let us not indulge in finger-pointing. We as a Lankan society have failed our children. The media is filled with incidents of presidents and prime ministers of our country carrying out crime. Many have been accused of demanding huge bribes to perform tasks administrators are expected to perform. Instances of sexual harassment by these worthies are not unheard of. But few if any face the wrath of the law.
With examples such as these, it should not surprise us when our children follow the example set by their peers and leaders of our country.
Statistics from the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) show nearly 8,000 cases of child abuse from January to October 2023. Colombo had the highest number of complaints with over 1,000 cases. Close to 10,500 cases of abuse were reported in 2022. Nearly 11,200 cases were documented in 2021.
According to Dr. Tush Wickramanayaka, of Stop Child Cruelty Trust and Chairperson and Co-Convener Child Protection Alliance, on an average from the time a complaint is made to the police, until the case is heard in court, it takes at least seven years. Once it is heard, often when it comes to cases of rape and grave sexual abuse, although thousands of cases are reported, we get only one conviction per year.
A ‘UN study on Women shows one in five Sri Lankan women have experienced physical and/or sexual violence. Another UN survey on ‘violence against women’, showed over 14.5 % or more than one in 10 men in our country admitted to having committed at least one rape.
Our country boasts of a 2,500-year-old cultural heritage. But it is apparent that this generation has failed to pass on the most basic of our cultural values -respect of women and womanhood- to our children.
What we need is to ensure, that no crime however big or small goes unpunished, whatever the social standing of the offender. The students who inflicted a grave crime against a fellow female student must face the full brunt of the law. The principal who covered up the crime should face the consequences of his/her action.
Else we will not get rid of this prevailing culture of impunity.