SRI LANKA: Government illegally influences police and medical staff

Dear friends,

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information regarding the assault and sexual harassment of a woman allegedly by a man employed in the Divisional Secretary’s office, Kataragama on 3 February 2008. Subsequently the office allegedly influenced the police officer handling the victim’s complaint and the doctor who examined the victim.

CASE DETAILS: (based on the testimony from the victim, Ms. Thanuja Lakshmi)

Ms. Thanuja Lakshmi is the mother of 14 year old Kaushalya Ratnayake and one and half year old Sashini Sehara Ratnayake. Her husband Cyril Ratnayake has worked as a security officer, attached to the Housing Authority, since 1987. Presently he is stationed in Amparai and comes home only for weekends.

At about 10am on 3 February 2008, Thanuja saw Mr. Rasika who is employed with the Divisional Secretary’s office Kataragama drinking alcohol with two other persons whose names she did not know but could identified. Thanuja heard that they were talking about the house of Mahindasiri, an accountant attached to the office of the Divisional Secretary which is situated behind her own house.

At 4pm, Rasika came to her house and asked for her husband and Thanuja replied that he was at work. Rasika then repeatedly asked her about her husband and become more threatening. Thanuja then asked him who he was and he showed her his identity card. Then he asked her “What is the dispute you are having with Accountant Mahindasir’s land?”  Thanuja told him that she was not aware of anything and he had better ask her husband about it. Then again Rasika shouted, “Where is Ratnayake? Tell him to come out.” Then he attempted to enter the house which Thanuja tried to prevent. However Rasika pushed his way inside, pushing Thanuja into a room and on to a bed. In the process he caught her and pulled her dress and in the struggle her skirt was torn. Thanuja started to shout for help. Then he took an axe which was lying in a corner of her house and hit her with the handle. Thanuja fell down under the weight of the blow and Rasika struck her again several times. Then the Accountant Mahindasiri too came with his sarong raised and asked for her husband. Thanuja Lakshmi noticed that he too was drunk.

Hearing the noise Thanuja’s neighbor Sunil Dayaratne came and pulled Rasika by his shirt while Rasika struggled with Dayaratne. At that moment Premasiri, Podi Dayaratne, and Weerakoon who are employees attached to Town Development Authority, and some other persons who had heard Thanuja shouting came running and pulled everyone out. Then Rasika and Mahindasiri started to fight with those people.

Thanuja says she was in severe pain due to an injury to her hand and went to the Kataragama Police Station to lodge an entry. Inside the police station, while the police officer was taking down her complaint, another officer told him that there was a phone call from the Divisional Secretary. After answering the call the officer came back and continued to write down her complaint. After finishing, the police just got her signature on it but did not make her read the contents.

Then the Police sent her to the Kataragama Hospiltal. Thanuja says that while the Doctor was checking her, he too got a telephone call from the Divisional Secretary. The Doctor told her that he could not treat her and sent her to Hambanthota Hospital in an Ambulance.  The same day at about 8.pm they operated on her arm. She was in the hospital for three days and in the afternoon of 5 February 2008 she was discharged. Since then, she has been unable to work and her arm is still in plaster.

On 6 February she went to the police station and the police asked her to go to the Mediation Board and settle the matter, which she refused. A case was instituted in court.

Based on her complaint, the police started investigation into the alleged assault however, no progress has been reported. In addition, due to the alleged influence by the office of the Divisional Secretary the case has not been investigated.

SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write letters to the relevant authorities to investigate into this matter and expedite the police inquiry into this matter. Please also urge them to investigate the alleged influence by the Divisional Secretary.

Please be informed that the AHRC has written a separate letter to the UN Special Rapporteur on Violence against Women calling for an intervention in this case.

To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER