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Child rapes in Sri Lanka rising, 700 cases in six months
Friday, 6 July 2012 - 12:39 PM SL Time
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Rapes and molestations of children, especially rapes of teenage girls, have risen alarmingly in Sri Lanka this year with over 700 incidents of rape or abuse of children reported during the first six months of the year.
Police media spokesman Superintendent of Police Ajith Rohana told media Thursday that the number was out of a total of around 900 complaints of rapes and abuses of women and children received by the police this year.
In the latest case five persons including a councilor of the Tangalle Urban Council have been charged with repeatedly raping a 13-year-old girl at an inn in the southern beach town of Tangalle.
The suspects who have surrendered to the police yesterday have been remanded until the 17th of this month.
The underage girl who ran away from home was sexually abused by 19 men for 6 days at the hotel managed by the councilor.
In a separate incident, another ruling party politician in the southern town of Akuressa in Matara district was jailed on Wednesday over allegations he raped a 14 year old girl.
According to the police spokesman, last year police recorded over 1700 incidents of rape and abuse of children and women. Around 1160 of those cases were involving children.
The police spokesman says the rise in the number of rape cases shows the need to impose tougher laws on the offenders.
Despite tough laws in existence, child molestations have been alarmingly on the increase in Sri Lanka, since the punishments are not imposed strictly, especially when politicians are involved in the crimes, child rights groups point out.
They say most of the offenders get out on bail and repeats the crimes and call for authorities to make rape a non-bailable offense.
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