Sunday 08 January 2012 By Gayan Kumara Weerasingha
While official records indicate five rape cases per day in Sri Lanka, unofficial figures could be double or treble the number, officials say. Many such cases go unreported, for victims and families do not want the attendant publicity that such unsavoury incidents being in their wake.
While official records indicate five rape cases per day in Sri Lanka, unofficial figures could be double or treble the number, officials say. Many such cases go unreported, for victims and families do not want the attendant publicity that such unsavoury incidents being in their wake.
According to statistics compiled by the Police Department for the period January 1 to November 30, 2011 the number of recorded cases stood at 1636, while cases are continuing to be recorded on a daily basis.
In the year 2010, the number of rape cases that were recorded by the Police Department was 1054. As such, the number of cases for the year 2011 far exceeds those for 2010 – and could go down as being the year with the highest number of incidents of rape in the country’s history.
Police Department sources say that one of the most unsavoury developments in this regard is the raping of not only women, but children of both sexes.
Prior to 1990, the number of cases had been far less, as per official records. In the year 1990, Sri Lanka had 365 recorded cases of rape. Twenty one years later (in 2011) the number has risen to 1636 in the first 11 months.
Rape of underage children
Taking crimes committed in December 2011, of the overall statistics collated by the Police Department, rape cases amount to 48 per cent while murders were 27 per cent. What is alarming is that of the total percentage of rape cases, 89 per cent are those of girls and boys who are underage.
Crime scientist (the only such person serving the Police Department) C.S.K. Millavithanachchi explained the situation, and said that the newly opened Crime Analyst’s Bureau (CAB) of the Police Department, mooted by the IGP N.K. Illangakoon – would serve to meticulously record these incidents and address a plethora of issues in this regard.
According to Millavithanachchi, the isolation of underage girls and boys sans sufficient protection by adults has contributed in large measure to them being victims of rape. Statistics received by the CAB reveal that the majority of cases are from the Anuradhapura and Ratnapura districts while youths in the age group of 20-30 years are the perpetrators of the crime against women, some of who are as old as 70-90 years, as reported last year from Kahawatte in the Ratnapura district. Yet another case reported recently was that of a police officer in charge who had raped a woman within the confines of the police station. Also reported was the case in which a senior army officer had raped a middle-aged woman who had been asleep when the incident took place. Sources say that some politicians are also allegedly perpetrators of rape of women and children.
Foreigners visiting the country have also undergone the trauma of being raped. The latest incident was reported from Polhena, Matara where on January 3, a Dutch tourist had been allegedly raped by the owner of the hotel in which she had been staying.
Crime escalates
Head of the Child and Women’s Bureau of the police, IP Manoj Kumara said that rape cases continue to escalate with each passing day, and noted that more women and children were making complaints unlike in the past when they desisted from doing so. He says that if every victim makes an official complaint, then the Police Department would be able to take effective measures to combat the crime, proactively.
IP Kumara is of the view that the majority of rape cases concerning underage girls and boys are definitely a crime even if according to the law of the country a girl who is 16 years cn consent to sleeping with a man. He added that in view of modern technology, the number of cases have steadily risen over the years, more so since the 1970s and 1980s.
Lack of parental supervision
The fact that parents leave their children without supervision while they are at work, and the lack of monitoring of the type of activities that children engage in have led to the drastic increase of rape of children. If parents supervise and monitor their children’s activities the incidents could be reduced to a large extent, IP Kumara added.
“Tuition classes have also contributed to this trend. The majority of young schoolboys and schoolgirls get entangled in romantic liaisons while attending tuition classes and some girls end up as victims of rape. This is reality,” he opined. In addition, there have been numerous cases of incest where immediate family members have resorted to raping daughters and granddaughters, IP Kumara explained.
Police Department sources say that one of the most unsavoury developments in this regard is the raping of not only women, but children of both sexes.
Prior to 1990, the number of cases had been far less, as per official records. In the year 1990, Sri Lanka had 365 recorded cases of rape. Twenty one years later (in 2011) the number has risen to 1636 in the first 11 months.
Rape of underage children
Taking crimes committed in December 2011, of the overall statistics collated by the Police Department, rape cases amount to 48 per cent while murders were 27 per cent. What is alarming is that of the total percentage of rape cases, 89 per cent are those of girls and boys who are underage.
Crime scientist (the only such person serving the Police Department) C.S.K. Millavithanachchi explained the situation, and said that the newly opened Crime Analyst’s Bureau (CAB) of the Police Department, mooted by the IGP N.K. Illangakoon – would serve to meticulously record these incidents and address a plethora of issues in this regard.
According to Millavithanachchi, the isolation of underage girls and boys sans sufficient protection by adults has contributed in large measure to them being victims of rape. Statistics received by the CAB reveal that the majority of cases are from the Anuradhapura and Ratnapura districts while youths in the age group of 20-30 years are the perpetrators of the crime against women, some of who are as old as 70-90 years, as reported last year from Kahawatte in the Ratnapura district. Yet another case reported recently was that of a police officer in charge who had raped a woman within the confines of the police station. Also reported was the case in which a senior army officer had raped a middle-aged woman who had been asleep when the incident took place. Sources say that some politicians are also allegedly perpetrators of rape of women and children.
Foreigners visiting the country have also undergone the trauma of being raped. The latest incident was reported from Polhena, Matara where on January 3, a Dutch tourist had been allegedly raped by the owner of the hotel in which she had been staying.
Crime escalates
Head of the Child and Women’s Bureau of the police, IP Manoj Kumara said that rape cases continue to escalate with each passing day, and noted that more women and children were making complaints unlike in the past when they desisted from doing so. He says that if every victim makes an official complaint, then the Police Department would be able to take effective measures to combat the crime, proactively.
IP Kumara is of the view that the majority of rape cases concerning underage girls and boys are definitely a crime even if according to the law of the country a girl who is 16 years cn consent to sleeping with a man. He added that in view of modern technology, the number of cases have steadily risen over the years, more so since the 1970s and 1980s.
Lack of parental supervision
The fact that parents leave their children without supervision while they are at work, and the lack of monitoring of the type of activities that children engage in have led to the drastic increase of rape of children. If parents supervise and monitor their children’s activities the incidents could be reduced to a large extent, IP Kumara added.
“Tuition classes have also contributed to this trend. The majority of young schoolboys and schoolgirls get entangled in romantic liaisons while attending tuition classes and some girls end up as victims of rape. This is reality,” he opined. In addition, there have been numerous cases of incest where immediate family members have resorted to raping daughters and granddaughters, IP Kumara explained.
