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Child cruelty case: Police give broken typewriter as execuse

by Kurunegala Special Cor

Police told the Wariyapola Magistrate, Ms. Padma Palihakkara, that the case extract in a child cruelty case could not be submitted to the Attorney General as the typewriter in the Police Station was broken.

In this case, Chandrasiri Wickremasuriya, principal of Sri Sumangala Maha Vidyalaya, Wariyapola, is charged with assaulting an 11 year-old girl student in the school premises.

Earlier the magistrate had ordered the case be heard in the High Court, Kurunegala and asked the Police to report to her last Tuesday confirming that action had been taken to execute her order. On trial date counsel for the victim, Vasantha Kumara, had submitted that the child had suffered grievous hurt and moved that the case be heard before the High Court.

When the Police complained about the broken typewriter, the magistrate asked how was it that she had documents typed subsequent to her order before her. The Police had no answer.

The magistrate then asked Police to report to her on October 10 and warned the accused to be present in Court.

During these hearings, Counsel Vasantha Kumara, told court that the person who had stood surety for the accused one of the Vice Principals of the school, was intimidating the child as well as other prosecution witnesses.

Magistrate Ms. Palihakkara told that person to leave the court premises immediately and warned him to refrain from interfering with the case.

Representatives of the Human Rights Organisation, Kurunegala and the National Child Protection Authority, who are watching the interests of the assaulted student, were present in court.

A spokesman for the N.C.P.A. said that the "broken typewriter" excuse and seeming police lethargy regards prosecution is being brought to the notice of the higher echelons as they are empowered under the law to monitor criminal investigations in regard to child abuse cases.

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