Minister to push for capital punishment for rapists, paedophiles

Nadira Gunatilleke

A Cabinet memorandum requesting to reactivate capital punishment on criminals committing crimes against children and women will be presented by Child Development and Women's Empowerment Minister Sumedha G. Jayasena. This will be done on demands by public and religious leaders, Media Coordinator to Minister Jayasena W.M.S. Wijekoon said.

He said that at the moment the death penalty exists but the President has to approve it prior to implementation. Usually no Sri Lankan President wishes to sign the death penalty due to natural emotional reasons and the law has halted there. The Cabinet paper suggests amending this part of the law which will enable the practical implementation of the death penalty.

Wijekoon pointed out that killing and abusing children and women have become regular occurences and the latest incident reported from Negombo Hospital where a 22-year-old female cancer patient was chloroformed, raped and killed by pushing from a top floor of the hospital by an MBBS doctor.

The accused has alleged to have committed similar crimes in two early occasions but had escaped without getting punished. According to statistics six other girls who worked in the same garment factory had been murdered in earlier occasions.

When Minister Jayasena visited the funeral house of Chamila Dissanayake, her family had informed the Minister that there were several injuries on victim's body. They had told her that they were very proud of her.

The villagers have told the Minister that it was an honour for Moneragala area to have such a heroic girl like Chamila and had asked the Minister to do justice, he said. Minister Jayasena has also ordered the Madulla Divisional Secretary to do everything possible to ensure the welfare of the slain girl's family.

The victim was from Madulla Divisional Secretariat in the Moneragala district and had come to Colombo to work in a garment factory because of poverty. She has built a house with much difficulty replacing thached house where her family lived for years and also looked after the aged parents with her poor salary until she was killed.

Minister Jayasena questioned and asked why the so called NGOs who shout for women's rights keeping quiet on Chamila's death. Several women and children were abducted, raped and killed in the past but nothing has happened to the criminals under the present law. The families of the victims still suffer emotionally and economically without any assistance from any person or institution.

The Minister assured to launch a joint programme to safeguard children and women with proper coordination of her Ministry, Children's and Women's Bureau, the Police Department and the community. Steps will be taken to implement another programme to collect data and look after victimised children, women and their families.