Family seeks justice against brutality at padukka police

Police Media Unit says false information appears to have been spread with regards to this incident but investigations are underway

• An officer in civvies at the Padukka police who had recorded the statement is alleged to have misinterpreted the statement
• When his wife had gone to the toilet. she is alleged to have been harassed by a police officer
• He had desperately wanted to bail out since he felt that His two daughters and wife were extremely unsafe at the Police Station

By Kamanthi Wickramasinghe

A young mother of three from Bope, Padukka has appealed to the President and Inspector General of Police seeking justice over an alleged incident of sexual harassment she experienced when she visited the Padukka Police station to file a complaint.   

However, the Police Media Unit said the Mirihana Police Division Crime Investigation Unit is conducting further investigations on the complaints filed by the family. 

 
“The complaints are on obscene videos sent by a person and the wife has complained of an assault by her husband who had been under the influence of alcohol. There is no complaint about police officers attempting to harass the woman. False information appears to have been spread with regards to this incident but investigations are underway.”    

The family had visited the Police station to file a complaint against an individual who had sent obscene videos to their eldest daughter.   

P.P. Indika Perera the spouse of the victim said “Before going to work I give my smart phone to my aunt’s son because my two daughters have online classes’’.   

“My eldest daughter had started an affair with an individual she met on Facebook and that person had been sending obscene videos to her on WhatsApp. I was shocked when I saw the messages and that day I was a little drunk too. Thereafter, I came home and scolded my wife and daughter. We then went to make an entry to Padukka Police Station but when we went there we were told that there were no officers at the Children’s and Women’s Desk and they asked us to come the following day.”   

Perera said that they were then directed to go to the Mirihana Police Station and a complaint was filed there. Thereafter, they had wanted to inform the Padukka Police that they had filed a complaint at the Mirihana Police Station.   

“An officer dressed in civvies at Padukka police station who had recorded the statement is alleged to have misinterpreted the complaint. 

Perera went on to say that the individual who had sent obscene videos had threatened to kidnap his daughter. He had asked the officer what sort of protection they would be able to provide for her. The police officer who had been infuriated by the question had grabbed him by the collar and shoved him into the lock-up. He had yelled at him saying if it was the police who gave a smart phone to his daughter or whether it was the police who sent the videos.   

Perera after some time had fallen asleep inside the cell. Just after he had fallen  asleep his wife had wanted to go to the toilet. When she went to the toilet she is alleged to have been harassed by a police officer who accompanied her to the toilet. However, when his wife had woken him up around 2.00am to tell him the incident he had advised her to keep it to herself and tell it directly to the OIC.

The OIC had arrived at the Police station the following morning and started berating him for his behaviour of the previous day. His wife had wanted to complain to the OIC regarding the previous nights incident but her husband had gestured to her and prevented her from relating the incident and complicating matters.

He had desperately wanted to bail out since he felt that His two daughters and wife were extremely unsafe at the Police Station and if they held him in custody further who would protect them?”   

Indika was bailed out the same day after the Police recorded another statement from him. But he demands justice against the injustices experienced by him and his family. The family has taken the matter to the Human Rights Commission while the Asian Human Rights Commission has sent an open letter to the IGP urging to intervene by ensuring the mother protection, conducting an urgent inquiry and ensure arrest and criminal action against the accused.