Seya’s Death: Who Is To Be Blamed ?
Mass L. Usuf
It is an irony of sorts that a nation with deep buddistic roots which defacto had suspended the death sentence, is now clamouring for it. Some of the expressions of the masses aired over the national television channels demand the shooting of the accused in public at the Galle Face green. While others citing the law in the middle-eastern countries, vociferously advocate the beheading of such accused. The villagers want the accused for themselves to put him to death by torture. Who is this accused ? He is the child abuser who sexually molested and caused physical harm to Seya.
How many more angels are to be sacrificed before meaningful action is taken to address this growing social menace. The reality may be that incest, rape and paedophilia occur on a daily basis within the confines of the four walls. It is when an encounter ends with killing that we see a public revulsion. The Kotadeniyawa incident(12.09.2015) where a five year old became a victim of a maniacal sexual psychopath was the latest in a series of events.
State responsibility
The State has a duty to protect its citizens and especially those who are in the vulnerable category. Children do rightly and squarely fall into this classification. There is no doubt that the parents have a great responsibility in providing the environment of security for their offsprings. So does this duty devolve on the teachers at school where these innocent kids go to learn. In combination of these, there is the additional watchdog in the form of the society which also share the same responsibility of the State, the parents and the teachers.
The State’s legal machinery triggering into action is good but is not the solution. It would be like treating the symptom rather than the cause. The low number of prosecutions against the high number of violation, indicate the need to develop the jurisprudence in this area. Along with this, the State must also embark on a study to understand the several socio-cultural and psychological factors which directly or indirectly contribute to such psychopathic tendencies. While the arm of the law has to be strengthened to prevent, protect and safeguard the vulnerable, there is a compelling need for a holistic approach to this problem.Read More