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Rapes surge in Sri Lanka amid weak laws

Gibbs

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An introspect on this grave issue amidst the spot light mainly on India.. Maybe not to that scale or the phenomena of gang rape there but certainly a problem that is growing and needs to be tackled in our own countries.



Rapes surge in Sri Lanka amid weak laws - Features - Al Jazeera English

Incidents of rape have increased 20 percent in last two years as current law fails to criminalise domestic sex attacks.

Dinouk Colombage



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Women activists say existing laws in the country have encouraged domestic sexual violence [EPA]
Colombo, Sri Lanka - Recent allegations that a naval officer in the northern city of Jaffna raped an 11-year-old girl have cast a spotlight on the growing problem of sexual violence in Sri Lanka.

According to police statistics, incidents of rape have increased by nearly 20 percent in the last two years, with 4,393 cases registered during 2012-2014 as compared to 3,624 in 2010-2012.

In the Jaffna case, police confirmed they had apprehended and brought before the courts a suspect attached to the navy, but refused to comment further.

"While this particular case has received significant media attention, thousands of others do not," said professor Savithri Fernando, who counsels victims of sexual abuse.

"Sexual abuse is rampant," she told Al Jazeera citing the Asian Human Rights Council research on rape in the island nation.

Preethi (name changed) said she was raped while working in a garment factory in the capital, Colombo. A few male supervisors at the factory treated the mostly female staff as "personal attendants", she told Al Jazeera, adding that the verbal abuse led her to lodge a formal complaint with factory authorities.

"An inquiry was held, but many women employees refused to comment against these men. Finally they decided to transfer me to another section," she said.

"It was a week later that two of the men who I had lodged a complaint against raped me," she told Al Jazeera. Preethi said she was afraid to report the incident for fear of losing her job, although she left the factory several months later.

"I am in search of new work, but I am afraid to take a job at another garment factory. There is no protection for women," she said. "I was not the first to be raped and I am scared that it will happen again."

Buddhika Fernando, manager of the Star Clothes Merchants where Preethi worked, told Al Jazeera that it was an internal matter and "was dealt with", refusing to comment further.

Poor conviction rates

According to a 2013 UN Survey, which explored violence against women throughout the Asia-Pacific region, nearly 15 percent of Sri Lankan men said they had committed rape. Of those, 65 percent said they had done so on more than one occasion. But of all the men surveyed, only five percent said they had been arrested and jailed for their crimes.

Accoding to article 365 of the country's penal code, those found guilty of grave sexual abuse can face rigorous imprisonment. Perpetrators can be jailed for up to 20 years and must pay compensation to the victim.

"Cultural norms in Sri Lanka have contributed to the unwillingness of sexual-abuse victims to report these crimes," said Fernando, who teaches at the University of Colombo. "Very often, a woman will be shunned by her local community when they learn of such an act," she said. "If a woman is unmarried, it will be near impossible for her to find a husband if it becomes public knowledge."

Very often, a woman will be shunned by her local community when they learn of such an act. If a woman is unmarried, it will be near impossible for her to find a husband if it becomes public knowledge.

- Savithri Fernando, a counsellor for sexual abuse victims

Weak laws

Police spokesperson, Ajith Rohana, told Al Jazeera that police have established a children's and women's bureau to investigate acts of sexual violence. He could not confirm the frequency of rapes in Sri Lanka, but noted: "Any time a rape is reported, we immediately investigate and arrest the perpetrators, who will then be produced before the courts."

Fernando says existing laws in the country have encouraged domestic sexual violence, noting it is not illegal in Sri Lanka for a person to rape their spouse.

Many rapes in the country occur between spouses, leaving the victims with no legal protection, she said.The penal code in Sri Lanka only criminalises marital rape if the wife and husband are legally separated. Otherwise it is not recognised as a crime.

One woman who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity said she was raped by her husband, a part-time labourer, on several occasions.

"Our finances are tight and often he resorts to alcohol when he cannot find work. When he is drunk he attacks me," she said.

"I must now either divorce him or endure this, [but] if I divorce my husband I will be forced to leave my home… I have little work here and do not think I can get any elsewhere."

In April, Sri Lanka's Minister for Child Development and Women's Affairs, Tissa Karalliyadda, proposed that a rapist be bound by law to marry their victim, provided the victim consented in court. Karalliyadda told Al Jazeera that this would "discourage perpetrators from such acts, and of course the victim had the option to refuse to marry".

He has also proposed tougher sentences for rapists, though the proposal has yet to come before parliament.

But Sepali Kottegoda, the executive director of the feminist group Women and Media Collective, said such a law would not "dissuade" rapists.

"No victim would want to marry a person who has sexually abused them. It will amount to nothing," Kottegoda told Al Jazeera, adding the minister should resign for suggesting such an anti-rape law.

"This is not the first such comment made by the minister. It demonstrates that he either does not take his job seriously or is unable to perform his duties effectively," she said.
 
I doubt it's the number of rapes that have surged and not the number of reported rapes.
 
Recent allegations that a naval officer in the northern city of Jaffna raped an 11-year-old girl have cast a spotlight on the growing problem of sexual violence in Sri Lanka.

Source: Rapes surge in Sri Lanka amid weak laws


In that happened in India it would have been reported all over the world and there will be prime time debates titled " Is Navy full of rapists" and Navy as a whole would have been dragged through the dirt.
 
In that happened in India it would have been reported all over the world and there will be prime time debates titled " Is Navy full of rapists" and Navy as a whole would have been dragged through the dirt.

Not trying to down play this crime and any rape is a crime but the reason India seem to hit the headlines are because of the sheer brutality and the phenomena of gang rape that is not heard of in any other country to that magnitude.. Also because most of the cases end up in equally brutal murder or attempted murder of the victims

So there maybe many more countries with probably higher rape cases reported but with less shocking circumstances.. I think the Indian society as whole need to introspect why it is so

Again not trying to down play rape in SL or any other country, Just showing the perspective on why India grabs global headlines
 
Not trying to down play this crime and any rape is a crime but the reason India seem to hit the headlines are because of the sheer brutality and the phenomena of gang rape that is not heard of in any other country to that magnitude.. Also because most of the cases end up in equally brutal murder or attempted murder of the victims

So there maybe many more countries with probably higher rape cases reported but with less shocking circumstances.. I think the Indian society as whole need to introspect why it is so

Again not trying to down play rape in SL or any other country, Just showing the perspective on why India grabs global headlines

Your navy officer raped a 11 year old...its not brutal enough for you. You talk as if rape/ rape murders are an uniquely Indian problem.So you haven't heard about the rapes in African countries, sexual molestation in Egypt, Sexual violence in Brazil etc. I am sick and tired of India being depicted as a rapist heaven eventhough we have a low rape to population ratio. The foreign media never was kind towards India but the Indian media sells their own nation for higher TRPs.
 
Your navy officer raped a 11 year old...its not brutal enough for you. You talk as if rape/ rape murders are an uniquely Indian problem.So you haven't heard about the rapes in African countries, sexual molestation in Egypt, Sexual violence in Brazil etc. I am sick and tired of India being depicted as a rapist heaven eventhough we have a low rape to population ratio. The foreign media never was kind towards India but the Indian media sells their own nation for higher TRPs.

Where have i down played this rape case.. Infact i reiterated it's seriousness.. Rape is NOT A grave problem specific to India.. It's a problem all over

My comment was on your contention why the media is more focused on India specifically and why it makes headlines as opposed to other countries that may even have higher reported cases.. Just trying to divert the issues by blaming the messenger or crying foul to all and sundry by hiding your head in the sand and blaming everybody else wont help.. India is getting notorious for gang rape and brutal gang rape at that resulting even in murder.. That is the reason it hit the headlines.. Stop blaming the world for everything try and and have proper perspective..

And it does not matter if it's one rape case or a hundred or that it happens in SL, India or Timbuktoo..It's equally abhorrent
 
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Where have i down played this rape case.. Infact i reiterated it's seriousness.. Rape is NOT A grave problem specific to India.. It's a problem all over

My comment was on your contention why the media is more focused on India specifically and why it makes headlines as opposed to other countries that may even have higher reported cases.. Just trying to divert the issues by blaming the messenger or crying foul to all and sundry by hiding your head in the sand and blaming everybody else wont help.. India is getting notorious for gang rape and brutal gang rape at that resulting even in murder.. That is the reason it hit the headlines.. Stop blaming the world for everything try and and have proper perspective..

And it does not matter if it's one rape case or a hundred or that it happens in SL, India or Timbuktoo..It's equally abhorrent

It hit headlines bcs people came out in the street to protest after the Delhi rape case and its in the news since then, something SL or any other nation failed to do for their women. Something that I am proud of...And pls don't tell me that media don't have agendas of their own. I think even the word " Paid Media" is invented in India.

Blaming the messenger: Its funny coming from you as Srilankans or Sinhalas to be exact blame the channel 4 documentaries as propaganda and being paid by LTTE.

Anyway what happened to that rape of that foreign national after killing her partner case in SL in which a political bigwig was involved.
 
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Your navy officer raped a 11 year old...its not brutal enough for you. You talk as if rape/ rape murders are an uniquely Indian problem.So you haven't heard about the rapes in African countries, sexual molestation in Egypt, Sexual violence in Brazil etc. I am sick and tired of India being depicted as a rapist heaven eventhough we have a low rape to population ratio. The foreign media never was kind towards India but the Indian media sells their own nation for higher TRPs.

Degenerates exist in every society ... Not long ago an ind military officer was arrested for having child p+rnography ... I didn't see such a debate .. Maybe indian military is notorious bcoz of the several sex scandals or the rapes .. Anyways.. Rapist mofos should be beheaded n their corpses mutilated .. Insects deserve nothing less..
 
Degenerates exist in every society ... Not long ago an ind military officer was arrested for having child p+rnography ... I didn't see such a debate .. Maybe indian military is notorious bcoz of the several sex scandals or the rapes .. Anyways.. Rapist mofos should be beheaded n their corpses mutilated .. Insects deserve nothing less..

And no one is allowed to take the moral highground either.
 
It hit headlines bcs people came out in the street to protest after the Delhi rape case and its in the news since then, something SL or any other nation failed to do for their women. Something that I am proud of...And pls don't tell me that media don't have agendas of their own. I think even the word " Paid Media" is invented in India.

Blaming the messenger: Its funny coming from you as Srilankans or Sinhalas to be exact blame the channel 4 documentaries as propaganda and being paid by LTTE.

Anyway what happened to that rape of that foreign national after killing her partner case in SL in which a political bigwig was involved.

Make up your mind dude.. So your happy that the Delhi rape case came out on media and people reacted (Not the other way around) Because people got to know about it through wide reporting done hence the reaction..or pissed off that brutal gang rapes are reported in the media busting the little bubble you set up in your head ?? I guess it's the latter.. Because the OP and intention of mine was to highlight that rape is a world wide phenomenon and not be trivialized as it has been on these forums solely and unfairly focusing on one country

It's not our fault of the fault of the media you blame that you got your ego bruised.. And no nobody can take the moral highground

And keep your prejudices to your self Sinhalese are Sri Lankans as with any other community in the island.. Keep your definitions of divisions to India

FYI.. That political big wig was convicted by a court of law and duly sentenced to rigorous imprisonment.. Further more the attorney gen on behalf of the govt is appealing the verdict to harsher life imprisonment due to a perceived lighter sentence given on murder
 
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And pls don't tell me that media don't have agendas of their own. I think even the word " Paid Media" is invented in India.

Media never does propaganda, if something hits the world headlines often, it has to be true!
Except when they talk about Sri Lanka's human rights issues, war crimes, freedom of press and so on. :lol: In that case it would become propaganda, otherwise you should believe everything you read :)
 
Media never does propaganda, if something hits the world headlines often, it has to be true!
Except when they talk about Sri Lanka's human rights issues, war crimes, freedom of press and so on. :lol: In that case it would become propaganda, otherwise you should believe everything you read :)

Nope thats what usually Indians do.. Well atleast most keyboard experts on here.. The Hypocrisy from some of you is truly palpable.. :-)
 
Not trying to down play this crime and any rape is a crime but the reason India seem to hit the headlines are because of the sheer brutality and the phenomena of gang rape that is not heard of in any other country to that magnitude.. Also because most of the cases end up in equally brutal murder or attempted murder of the victims

So there maybe many more countries with probably higher rape cases reported but with less shocking circumstances.. I think the Indian society as whole need to introspect why it is so

Again not trying to down play rape in SL or any other country, Just showing the perspective on why India grabs global headlines
In same two years span of2010-12 total rape cases were 45000 for india where as srilankas no is 3600 ..multiply it with 20 according to population you will get which is of higher magnitude ...due to vibrant media our ills gets magnified in front of world ..though its good but our neighbors should not remain complacent thinking that their problem is not as serious as ours..
 
In same two years span of2010-12 total rape cases were 45000 for india where as srilankas no is 3600 ..multiply it with 20 according to population you will get which is of higher magnitude ...due to vibrant media our ills gets magnified in front of world ..though its good but our neighbors should not remain complacent thinking that their problem is not as serious as ours..

Hence was the purpose of this thread.. Not to tivialize a grave global issue by focusing unnecessary on one country..

How is it that most of you guys just throw hissy fits at a mere mention of India.. Blaming media, Diverting subject, Comparing with other countries and dragging them in??

Even in a thread that is actually trying to portray a balance perspective.. Some of you have some serious insecurity issues
 
Hence was the purpose of this thread.. Not to tivialize a grave global issue by focusing unnecessary on one country..

How is it that most of you guys just throw hissy fits at a mere mention of India.. Blaming media, Diverting subject, Comparing with other countries and dragging them in??

Even in a thread that is actually trying to portray a balance perspective.. Some of you have some serious insecurity issues
Oh dear dont get angry ...now when you showed your number comparing it with ourselves is normal in these days of bad press for our country ..further more if you had our magnitude of population your total rape cases would have been 180000 !!!!thats staggering compared to indias 45000 ...my point is not for you only ..when we are resisting these social ills all others starts to show finger at us ..thats the point
 

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