Man sentenced to 10 years for raping infant
 

by Sandasen Marasinghe

Colombo High Court Judge I. M. Abeyratne yesterday sentenced a man to 10 years' rigorous imprisonment for raping a one and half-year-old girl. The convict K. D. Anil Kumarasiri was the paramour of the baby's mother.

Attorney General indicted K. D. A. Kumarasiri for raping the girl on October 31, 1995. According to evidence, the crime was committed on October 31, 1995 while the baby's mother went to the kitchen to prepare milk, keeping the child in care of the man.

Signs of a crime had been seen by the baby's mother when she came out and a doctor of the Lady Ridgeway Hospital had informed that the child had been sexually assaulted. The Medico Legal Report by the Colombo Judicial Medical Officer stated that the child had been sexually assaulted.

The child's mother said in evidence that no one else was there with the child at the time of the incident.

The Court observed that the case was proved beyond reasonable doubt and imposed a fine of Rs 2000 and another six months RI in default and Rs 10,000 compensation and another six month RI in default.

State Counsel Lakmali Hewawasam appeared for the prosecution.