Six senior school players summoned to courts
Six rugby players from St. Peter’s College, including the team captain, have been summoned before the Colombo Magistrate Courts on Thursday (15) after failing to provide statements to the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) regarding allegations of sexual abuse against a fellow minor player.
The NCPA’s Special Investigation Unit was forced to seek court intervention after the players failed to appear for questioning.
“The accused students did not show up when we summoned them to the NCPA. So we had to seek legal redress,” an NCPA official told the Sunday Times.
The case arises from an incident that allegedly occurred during a training camp on April 22 where the senior players had attempted to molest their 15-year-old colleague. According to reports, when the younger player resisted advances from his senior teammates, they physically assaulted him. After school had failed to investigate the matter properly, the parents sought redress at the NCPA.
After receiving the complaint, the NCPA conducted a site inspection and questioned employees at the location where the alleged incident took place. Under Sri Lankan law, sexual abuse is classified as a serious offence under Section 345 of the Penal Code. If convicted, the accused could face up to five years’ imprisonment, substantial fines, or both, depending on the severity of the offence.
Following the incident, the defending league champions and knockout runners-up officially withdrew from the ongoing Dialog President’s Trophy Under-19 Schools Knockout Rugby Tournament citing disciplinary concerns.
World Rugby, the sport’s international governing body, maintains strict policies against sexual abuse, particularly involving minors. This incident could potentially place Sri Lanka under international scrutiny if not handled properly—adding further pressure on Sri Lanka Rugby, which already faces significant administrative challenges despite continued success in national teams and domestic competitions.
The Sunday Times attempted to contact the General Manager of the Archdiocesan Education Service to obtain the Catholic Church’s perspective on the matter and inquire about potential actions to address what appears to be a disturbing pattern of physical violence in schools. However, these attempts were unsuccessful.