Schoolgirl suicides after Facebook photo issue -- UPDATES 6

Kurunegala Principal arrested .....
 if guilty of cruelty .... 10 years in prison

Principal of Kurunegala SirJohn Kotelawala mixed school who was subjected to accusation over the incident of the suicide of O/L student Wenusha Imandi Bandara was taken into custody yesterday afternoon by officers of Child Protection Authority.

This Principal told the media immediately after the incident that the reason for the suicide was mental problems of an internal nature and his reprimanding the student had no direct reference to it. To confirm his views, the psychological counsellor too had expressed her ideas to the media and she had told overseas
media such as BBC that during that period that she had no knowledge of any obscene remarks the Principal had made on the deceased student.

However, it was understood that the Principal who had directed the student herself to this psychological counsellor had insulted her on 2 occasions in a manner which was not conducive to the occasion. One such occasion was at a morning assembly at a public meting. The Principal had summoned the student to to the public platform accusing her having gone to see a film with a boy where she was humiliated being reprimanded not to get caught doing such things in future in the presence of a large gathering of teachers and students.

The last letter written by the deceased Wenusha expresses the fact that she was scolded without any basis and that she had told that she was escorted her sister too when going to see that film, but no justice was done in that instance either.

Wenusha who was an attractive girl was also a bright student as a dancer in the school was dejected because of the above-mentioned incident when this issue regarding the Facebook cropped up.

It was on this second occasion that the Principal who was not of an age to study technology as such had got into tantrums having seen photos of Wenusha and her lover in romantic moods with his photos of the school on the Facebook having listened to someone;'s gossip. The wrong image in the Principal's mind about Wenusha was of a "We ..... " with immodest behaviour who goes to see films with boys. His psychological counselling-story had not become relevant in that instance. He disgraced her in the Principal's room in the presence of the teacher-in-charge of discipline and another teacher without giving ear to her pleas, putting her into a terrible state of helplessness, sending her home with instructions to report with her parents.

Wenusha who was seriously hurt over this had then developed the thought of ending her life with revenge in order to escape from the mental pressure as the motive and writing a letter informing the father the next day about the incident and finally die by hanging herself with a sari.

As the student's letter was flashed across the media, talk went round society about this Principal's exploits and that was when this Principal who was used to training cadets while equipped with army training too was supposed to possess a harsh temperament, got bogged down.

It was after that that Wenusha's parents and students got to the streets. But in this instance another crowd chanting that the Principal was good also happen to get onto the streets simultaneously, bringing to memory a political drama of the Kelaniya 'big man'. They called themselves the Old Fraternity of the school accompanied with parents.However, much expenditure had been incurred where their protest was concerned compared to that of Wenusha's party. Even digital posters were printed and displayed near the wall of the school saying 'Let us protect our Principal'.

In the process there were other pages that had been created and according to informative sources, this Principal's appointment has been a political one. This Principal had been engaged as the Principal of Sir John Kotelawala mixed school which has a history of 40 years, for a period of about 3 years. This school which began in the year 1974 as Bandaranaike Vidyalaya later became President's College in 1971 and in 1986 became Sir John Kotelawala Vidyalaya. Not only the post of Principal but even the name of the school too had got caught in the political cyclone from time to time.


Last week Chief Minister Dayasiri who called off the fast of Wenusha's parents, made a promise that justice would be done and a report would be called for within 3 days. But in the process Dayasiri spoke partially for either party  at meetings. Nobody spoke directly about the Principal being removed from the school.

It was in this background the Principal was arrested last afternoon by the special police unit of Child Protection Authority.

The President and Attorney-at-Law Mrs.Anoma Dissanayaka spoke about this as follows:"We have received a number of complaints about that school and that Principal continuously before this incident. Since it is not conducive that we interfere into problems concerning school systems,we have handed over the subject to the Education Department of the North-Western province. So far he has not done anything. Now even a student had died. If we keep silent ... what will take place, we can't say".

As to the 1955 No.22 Penal Code Amendment Act clause 308 (a), it is stated that harm resulting in subjecting children to cruelty results in mental confusion and therefore since with the Amendment of No. 16, 2006 stated in the Penal Code has been included in it, they mention that the Principal abusing the student in obscene language amounts to cruelty and therefore they believe that legal measures could be taken in that respect.

Mrs. Anoma Dissanayaka says that because the said student is now not among the living, the letter written by her prior to her death in her own handwriting specifically states that the person who is at the bottom of the reason for suicide is the fact that the Principal had scolded her in obscene words and that statement could be considered as a statement made close upon her death and relevant action could be taken in that connection.

The Principal who has been taken into custody by the Child Protection Authority is expected to be handed over to the police for court action.

If according to the law the Principal concerned is found guilty of the offence, it is understood that he could be jailed for a maximum of 10 years.