A Swiss national had videoed when Jaffna schoolgirl was gang-raped

A Swiss national had videoed when Jaffna schoolgirl was gang-raped ....

Houses of 3 suspects out of 9 suspects smashed into smitherines

Hartal in Jaffna today also!

The number of suspects taken into custody on

suspicion over the incident of gang-rape of Sivaloganathan Vithya the 18 year old schoolgirl of Jaffna now happens to be 9. Among them are 3 brothers of the same family living close to the location where the girl's dead body was found and in addition there is also a white-skinned national coming from Switzerland living in this same area and another 5 persons. It was learned that the Swiss national had even videoed from a camera of his as to how the student was being raped. Later he and the other 8 individuals too had got together and gang-raped her.

The houses of the Swiss national situated in Punkuduthiv and that of 2 other suspects have been set on fire and destroyed by villagers. It was also reported that the wife, children and aunt of this Swiss national have come to stay at the police station for fear that they would be attacked by the villagers. Earlier when the other suspects were being taken to the police on the testimony of the 3 brothers who were cordoned in this connection, the villagers who behaved in an aggressive manner had tried to assault them and 2 police officers who tried to prevent this were subjected to injury at their hands and are presently warded in hospital. Since it was difficult for the police to take them away, it was said that the suspects were transported in a navy boat to police and were questioned after that.

A court order had to be taken to detain and interrogate the 9 individuals who were taken into custody and they are expected to be once again produced before courts today (19).

Vithya who had been studying at the A/L class at Punkudithiv Maha Vidyalaya, Kayts and was on her way to school leaving home around 7.10 in the morning when these youth had waylaid her and had abducted her. Subsequently she had been taken to a shrub-forest area and after gagging her with pieces of cloth and with hands and feet tied up she had been gang-raped by these individuals . Later, fearing that their identities would come to light, she had been struck on the head with a stone and thus killed, as revealed at investigations conducted by police.

Though the corpse was hidden in a desolate jungle area so that detection would be difficult, on a tip-off received the police succeeded in discovering the body lying close to 9th Lane, Punkudithiv within the space of just 24 hours. There had been large public protests forcing that investigations be carried out in this connection and a protest was launched on the day the deceased's final rites were held with all shops being closed down in the area. As a hartal is to take place in Jaffna today in this connection, the shops are expected to be closed, it is understood.

Previous  Gossip Lanka report in relation to the incident, from HERE