Minister urges death sentence for child abusers
Dharma Sri ABEYRATNE
The death sentence should be imposed on persons involved in child
abuse and violence against women, Child Development and Women’s Affairs
Minister Tissa Karaliyadda said. The minister was addressing a seminar
on Friday.
The seminar was organised by the Child Development and Women’s
Affairs Ministry to make the public aware about violence against
children.
The minister said the death sentence has to be reimposed on rapists
and persons involved in child abuse to mitigate the ever - increasing
incidents of child abuse and harassment of women.
Karaliyadda spoke of the social need to work towards the prevention
of child abuse, neglect and exploitation. “A joint effort has to be put
into practice aimed at preventing cruelty to children in every form -
physical abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, street children, child
fatalities, child prostitution, children of war, emotional abuse and
child labour,” the minister said.
The ministry is committed towards increasing public awareness on all
forms of violence against children, developing activities to prevent
such violence and promoting the rights of children, he said. The
minister said children should be prevented from falling prey to
attractions to trap them.
“Unlike in the past, children today are exposed to new things such as
mobile phones, televisions, internet etc. Parents should give children
only what is suitable to them. Children should be closely monitored when
using electronic gadgets, especially the Internet,” Minister Karaliyadda
said. |