Church priest arrested after alleged rape in Chilaw

Priest who abuses girls ....asking that their virginity be sacrificed to God!

A priest of Chilaw area who raped two girls of the ages of 15 and 13 years saying that their virginity should be sacrificed for God; thus exploiting his holy position, was ultimately taken into police custody.

This 31 year old married priest had molested several females over a period of time and it said that it had been possible for him to cover up these incidents under the cover of religion. It was only recently that these two girls who have kept this as a secret for many years had finally let the cat out of the bag.

When the police who went to get hold of this priest on information received that the two minors have been abused within a church, he had attempted to commit suicide by drinking poison and was admitted to Chilaw General Hospital after being arrested.

The person concerned is a priest who had been maintaining a church in Pambala area in Chilaw and is a resident of Ittekulama in Madampe.

One of the girls who had been abused is now in her 19th year. According to what she reveals,this girl who has been a victim of this rapist has been abused at the age of 15 years. According to her statement made to police, she is a resident of Weerahena area in Nattandiya and had been abused at the age of 15 years. She also said that she had been initially sexually abused within church premises itself by the suspect-priest saying that the virginity should be sacrificed to God and that on a number of times she had been so abused.

Another girl who resides in Mahawewa area has been sexually abused by the suspect. This girl who is now in her 15th year had been subjected to rape 2 years before this.

The two girls who have been so molested have lodged an entry at Chilaw Police Station about the offences to which they were victims. In order to inquire about the complaint, the police have visited the church where the said suspect is surpposed to be residing. On that occasion, it was observed that the suspect-priest was suffering from some ailment. As such, steps were taken to admit him to Chilaw General Hospital immediately. The police say that he may have taken some kind of poison after coming to hear that the offences he had committed had come to light.

Though information has been received that the suspect has abused several girls who had visited the church as well as a number of adult females, police say that there are no complaints received by them in that respect.

The suspect is presently undergoing treatment in Ward No. 4 in Chilaw Hospital while the two girls supposed to have been sexually abused have been present for an examination at Ward No. 9 in the same hospital.

The Crimes Division of Chilaw Police are conducting further investigations over this incident.

Report -- Jude Samantha