අනුරපුර දැරිය ගැන පාර්ලිමෙන්තු කාන්තාවන්ගේ අනුකම්පාව

The Parliamentarians' Forum has taken steps to pay special attention to the legal measures being implemented regarding the sensitive incident of a girl being sexually abused in the Anuradhapura area, and to ensure the safety of that girl. The discussion of this forum, which met yesterday (25) at the Parliament complex, was led by its Chairperson and Minister, Ms. Saroja Savithri Pobraj.

There, the parliamentarians emphasized that the relevant legal process should be closely monitored to ensure it is proceeding properly.

It has been decided to hold a special discussion on the 5th of next month, aiming to strengthen the existing legal framework and institutional structure to prevent various forms of violence against children and women in general, as well as regarding this crisis situation. Representatives from several key institutions in the country, including the Sri Lanka Police, the Attorney General's Department, the National Child Protection Authority, and the Department of Probation and Child Care Services, are expected to be invited to this special meeting. In addition to this incident, which has been widely discussed socially, further steps to ensure the safety of women and children in the country are also expected to be extensively discussed.

A special sub-committee has also been established under the Parliamentarians' Forum to oversee the ongoing legal proceedings related to the Anuradhapura incident and to identify institutional and legal reforms that need to be implemented to eradicate violence against women and children. This committee will operate under the co-chairmanship of Parliamentarians Samanmali Gunasinghe and Attorney Chamindrani Kiriella, who are the Co-Vice Chairpersons of the Parliamentarians' Forum. Ms. Hemali Weerasekera, Dr. Kaushalya Ariyaratne, and Attorneys Sagarika Athauda, Nilanthi Kottahetti, Nilusha Lakmali Gamage, Thushari Jayasinghe, Anushka Thilakarathna, Hasara Liyanage, Hiruni Wijesinghe, and Lakmali Hemachandra have been appointed as the other members of this special sub-committee.