We are bringing to your notice a news item that has appeared in several papers recently regarding a girl of 18 years who is said to be a victim of the tsunami tragedy and who, for the lack of any suitable child care institution, has been put in a prison as there is nowhere else for her to stay.
According to the Commissioner of Prisons, Rumy Marzook, the girl has been put in the prison on the basis of a court order and she is currently residing with the women inmates at Galle Prison.
We kindly urge you to instruct the relevant persons to investigate this matter and to provide suitable relief for this girl orphaned by this tragedy. We believe that sufficient amounts of funds have been contributed by local and foreign donors to help such persons. It would be a severe indictment on the contemporary culture of Sri Lanka if such a person had no other place to be housed than a prison.
Thank you.
Yours sincerely,
John S. Sloan
Programme Officer – Interventions
