• Incident thoroughly condemned

By Rashida Rehmanjee

The Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus released a statement yesterday condemning the brutal teen gang-rape of a sixteen-year-old girl child in Thanamalwila and subsequent alleged harassment by a Judicial Medical Officer in Hambantota. 

 The abuse was reportedly taking place since 2023, and the victim’s mother claimed that the medical officer verbally and emotionally harassed the victim subsequently, according to the statement.   
The statement emphasised the importance of proper implementation of training and measures on authorities such as the Prevention of Abuse of Children and Women and the National Child Protection Authority, the Ministries of Health, Education and Justice.   
Relevant authorities were requested to act in a conscientious, responsible and accountable manner in the aftermath of the case, 
said the statement.   
Authorities were advised to oversee all involved parties and ensure that the child is treated with dignity, free from further harassment, and that her recovery and redress processes are managed with the utmost care. The Ministry of Education was urged to implement measures to train teachers nationwide on how to effectively and sensitively handle such cases when they arise, according to the statement released.   
Ministries of Education and Health were jointly advised to prioritize promoting moral values, respect for others, and safeguarding schoolchildren from exposure to pornography, drugs, alcohol, and other addictions in attempt to prevent the risks of engaging in harmful and abusive activities, the 
statement added.   
The Ministry of Health and Ministry of Justice were urged to ensure Medical Officers and officials examining harassed children are trained to handle them with compassion. Additionally, the District General Hospital of Hambantota and the involved school were requested to fully cooperate with investigation into this injustice, ensuring no further defensiveness or harm to the survivor, according to the statement.   
Sri Lanka’s ratified United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), mandating measures to eliminate discrimination against girls and ensure their full societal participation. General Recommendation 19 of CEDAW highlights the need for comprehensive measures to combat violence against women and girls, said the statement.  
The statement highlighted that such gross violations of women’s and children’s rights are not tolerated and must be penalised appropriately. It further emphasised that authorities take all relevant measures to prevent such incidents and safeguard the rights and dignity of every girl child in Sri Lanka in the future.