A mother searches for her son, with a photograph that appeared in The Hindu

May 15, 2012

R. K. RADHAKRISHNAN

The HinduSaroja Devi from Uppumaveli, Mullativu, pointing out her son Leon Roxy from a picture taken by me (The Hindu's correspondent in Sri Lanka) in September 2011 on Tuesday in Colombo. Photo : R.K. Radhakrishnan

Saroja Devi of Mullaitivu last saw her son, Kerbert Morino Leon Roxy, on July 7, 2008.

That day, from the Northeastern coastal town, Roxy took a boat out of Tamil Tiger-held territory. His parents, eager to see him leave, had paid for the trip — it was expensive to smuggle out able-bodied youngsters past the LTTE, which was on a constant recruitment drive for fighters.

Once earlier, Roxy had been taken away by the LTTE, and as the fighting escalated in northern Sri Lanka, his family wanted to make sure he would not be around if the Tigers came calling once again.

Two days later, on July 9, 2008, the ‘middleman' Madhuran, who took Roxy along with a few other boys, informed their parents that he had dropped them off on the other side of Sri Lanka, in Mannar on the north-western coast.    More »