15-year-old girl sexually abused with mother’s connivance

By Palitha Ariyawansa   

A young man had fallen in love with a 15-year-old  schoolgirl of Kahataruppa area in Badulla and sexually abused her with the  connivance of her mother. She is below the age of consent in accordance  with the law of Sri Lanka, and therefore even consensual sex with such a  girl is considered statutory rape in legal terms.   

Investigations revealed that the 20-year-old man had befriended the girl’s mother first and stayed at their house.     
When her father, employed in Colombo, had come to know  that a young man was staying in the house and when he telephoned his  wife to inquire about it the young man had answered the call.   

However, when the police initiated investigations, the young  man fled from the scene, leaving the girl and her mother to be taken in  for questioning by the police. The girl stated to police that the young  man raped her continually with the knowledge of her mother when he was  staying in the house.   

JMO Badulla Hospital examined the girl and reported that  she had been raped. She was handed over to the care of her mother under  the supervision of the Probation Officers. However, she had managed to  meet the young man in Badulla town and eloped with him.   

OIC Kahataruppa Police Gamunu Lal Sirisena is conducting  further investigations to trace the whereabouts of the suspect young man  and the girl.