May 27, 2009
From: Devin R. Norris
1504 Boyer Street
Raleigh, North Carolina, 27610
(616) 516-3894
To: Mr. Victor Perera
Inspector General of Police (IGP)
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440/327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
Name of victim: Withheld for security reasons, (14), Student of Rattota Tamil Maha Vidiyalaya Resident with her grandmother at Palletenna, Rattota
Negligent police station: Rattota police station, Mathale district II, Matale Division, Central Range (West)
Place of incident: Rattota, Sri Lanka
Date of incident: 27 April 2009
Dear Mr Perera,
I am writing to voice my deep concern regarding the abduction and rape of a 14-year-old female student, and the indifference so far demonstrated by the local police station in investigating the case. Rape is criminalised under Section 363 of the Sri Lankan Penal Code, amended in 1995, and section 364 specifies the terms of imprisonment and an order of compensation against convicted rapists. That no active investigation has been conducted, nor the suspect charged weeks after the incident--despite the availability of evidence and the victim’s testimony--is in direct violation of police regulations.
It appears that the child had been forced into a three-wheeler by a boy on 27 April while waiting for a bus to school, and had been drugged with a cloth pressed to her face. She awoke that evening in an unfamiliar house to find that she had been raped. Her alleged attacker dropped her close to her house at 10:30pm the same evening, minus her school bag and items of jewelry.
The victim’s grandmother had reported the girl missing at Rattota Police Station that evening, after the girl failed to return home, and the next day (April 28) filed a complaint with her granddaughter, giving details of the incident, the attacker and his vehicle. Matale Base Hospital confirmed that the girl had been raped, and she remained in hospital until May 7.
I am concerned to hear from Rattota’s Deputy Inspector General that though the Officer in Charge of the station questioned the suspect in a brief, unofficial capacity on May 7 he released him shortly after, asking him to return the next day. Since then, despite the duty of the police to take all steps to protect the victim, no clear action has been taken: the suspect has not been questioned, a case against him has not been filed in the magistrate’s court and a warrant for his arrest has not been issued.
An inquiry into the rape by the Rattota police is the girl’s fundamental right according to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, Chapter Three, which states that all persons are equal before the law and are entitled to the equal protection of the law. That she has been denied this so far also goes against her right to justice and effective remedy, as found in article two of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) which was ratified by Sri Lanka in 1980.
Such negligence also takes a toll on society at large. Research has shown that rapists often continue to commit crimes of violation and domination against women. The indifference shown so far by the Rattota police to a violent sexual crime perpetrated on a minor in their jurisdiction, sends out an encouraging message to other would-be criminals.
Therefore I strongly urge your immediate intervention into this case, ensuring that an impartial investigation is set in motion. The safety of the victim and her family must be ensured, the suspect punished and rehabilitated, and compensation for the victim must be arranged.
I urge you to look into the environment and operating procedures at Rattota Police Station, to discern exactly why the confirmed rape of a minor has not been met with action or interest, and discipline those responsible. I also suggest that training be given to officers, so that they are able to adequately and appropriately assess and investigate crimes of a sexual nature in the future.
I look forward to your urgent intervention into this case.
Yours sincerely,
Devin Norris
United States
Website: http://www.devinnorris.com/
Email: devinrnorris@live.com
No comments:
Post a Comment