Abduction and rape by court officer

by Our Correspondent in Colombo

(June 07, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Mother tells a story of abduction, rape and denial of justice to a 17 year old girl from Kalutara.

An officer named Priyankara working in high court of Kalutara, has abducted a young girl of 17 years. When the girl was going to bring water from the well, three persons, one with a knife, one in a three wheeler and Priyankara has threatened her with knife, tied her legs and taken her away. She had been taken to secret place and raped her. When the girl did not returned home mother searched for her.

When she could not find her she went to the Kalutara police station complaint. She was kept at the police station for three hours for three hours before anyone interview her. When she was asked whether she suspects anyone, she said that one person working in Kalutara court has come to her house for no purpose at all twice and other than this, she had no one to suspect. Police officers then asked her for Rs.500 (five hundred) for the oil for Jeep to go to the house of Proyankara. She had given the money.

Later, police went Priyankara’s house and after sometime came back to the Jeep and told her that Priyankara was not in the house. Later at night, parents of Priyankara came to her house and told her “now your daughter is of no use to you. Withdraw the complaint against Priyanka or otherwise, you will be killed”. She once again went to police and found her girl there. She was not allowed to talk to the girl. The girl was produced to court next day, with a report and she was sent to probation.All the lawyers of Kalutara that the mother contacted refused to appear in court , saying that as Priyankara is working in the High court ,they cannot appear for them. She had to take a lawyer from Colombo to get the girt out on bail.

Despite of complaints Priyankra has not been arrested and no case has been registered on her complaint. She names the police officers who is covering up the case.

The story reveals the extent to which crime is spread in Sri Lanka and sheer lack of responsibility of the police and powerlessness of courts.

Related video produced by the Janasansadaya, the local NGO in Sri Lanka.