DOCUMENT - SRI LANKA: CHILD FEARED ABDUCTED IN SRI LANKA
UA: 172/13 Index: ASA 37/017/2013 Sri Lanka Date: 4 July 2013
URGENT ACTION
CHILD FEARED ABDUCTED IN SRI LANKA
Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj, 15 years old, has been missing since 13 June, after he failed to arrive at school in Vavuniya, northern Sri Lanka. His family fears that he has been abducted, and he may be at risk of torture or extrajudicial execution. Despite complaints lodged with the local police by his family, the police have failed to investigate.
Sivasooriyakumar Sanaraj left his home in Ukkulankulam, near Vavuniya, to go to school as usual on the morning of 13 June, but never came back. When he did not return home that evening, his aunt went to look for him at his school, and was told that he had not arrived that day. Another of his aunts went to the Vavuniya police to report him missing. However, the police did not take the case seriously; they refused to register the case and told her that he would eventually turn up. The following morning, his aunt returned to the police to lodge a complaint, at which point they assured her that they would visit the school to obtain a statement. However, they did not do so.
