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Rape of minors on the up
View(s):The alleged sexual abuse of a 12-year-old girl by a member of the Maharagama Municipal Council last week, once again brought into focus the disturbing trend that is emerging in the incidence of child rape. The councillor who surrendered to court through his lawyer, was remanded till April 12 by the Kaduwela Magistrate. The suspect who was allegedly having a love affair with the mother of the child, had come to the house when the child was alone and abused her, according to the complaint by the mother to the the Police.
This is among hundreds of such cases reported from across the country. Police say that child rape cases have seen a sharp rise over the years, due to negligence by parents and caretakers, as well as the wide-spread use of mobile phones by youngsters.
Last year, 1,808 cases of child rape were reported, of which, 1299 cases involved consensual sex between older males and girls under 18 years of age. These were recorded as statutory rape cases, as the age of consent in Sri Lanka is 18 years.
In sharp contrast, the number of rapes of adult women reported was 342, Women’s and Children’s Bureau Head SSP Jayantha Wickremasinghe said. “Parents need to be more vigilant with their children. Mobile phones are easily available these days, and they lead to a lot of these problems,” he said.
The senior police officer said that, “If children are given phones, their parents should ensure that they get a detailed bill at least once in two months, and keep tabs on the people who are in regular contact with them,” he said. Most abusers of young children have been found to be those known to them, especially relatives or close family friends. “People you least suspect can be an abuser,” he said.
He said that the sexual abuse of minors can be reduced, but there was need for more awareness and vigilance by responsible adults, while children too need to be educated on how to be cautious of unwarranted attention.This year, the Women’s and Children’s Bureau will begin a programme covering Colombo schools, where plays will be enacted to educate children as well as adults on the subjects.
“We will have school children themselves perform the dramas, so that the message will be clear to them,” SSP Wickremasinghe said.
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