'Sexual offences on the increase'

Ridma DISSANAYAKE

Complaints with regard to child abuse and sexual offences against women and children in Sri Lanka are increasing dramatically specially since 1995, said Lawyers for Human Rights and Development (LHRD) Executive Director Attorney-at-Law Kalyananda Thiranagama.

The number of complaints of this nature was just over 900 in 1995 and this was over 2,000 in 2010 reflecting remarkable increase within 15 years, he said.

He was addressing a conference organized by the LHRD with the sponsorship of the Women Defining Peace (WDP) project at Renuka Hotel to seek opinions of women's organizations on the release of offenders involved in child abuse and sexual abuse on suspended sentences.

"The number of women and child abuse cases has increased although many rules and regulations have been introduced against offenders in 1995.

According to the law, child and women abusers can be committed to mandatory jail sentences.